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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24646966">Somewhere Along the Line</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/toasty_coconut/pseuds/toasty_coconut'>toasty_coconut</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Adventure, Children, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Future Fic, Humor, Multi, Next Generation</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 02:47:19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>19,738</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24646966</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/toasty_coconut/pseuds/toasty_coconut</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Although Ash and Pikachu's journey is over, new stories continue to grow. From their friends to their children, the adventures never really end. A series of one-shots and drabbles focusing on the next generation of Pokemon Masters, their friends, and family.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Citron | Clemont/Serena, Haruka | May/Shuu | Drew, Hikari | Dawn/Shinji | Paul, Kasumi | Misty/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Leaf/Ookido Shigeru | Gary Oak, Nozomi | Zoey/Suzuna | Candice, Touko | Hilda/Yuuki | Brendan</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Crash</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>March of 2033. Late Afternoon. Pallet Town, Kanto.</strong>
  </em>
</p>
<p>The living room came into view in a blurry haze as Misty groggily opened her eyes. Her mouth was dry and her head felt heavy as she slowly lifted herself from her laying position on the sofa. Running her fingers through her hair, she looked out the window. The sun was just starting to set and she squinted, inwardly cursed at having been asleep longer than she intended.</p>
<p>But upon realizing just how parched she was, Misty decided to let it go and rise to her feet, making her way into the kitchen. As she walked down the hall, she began to notice just how quiet the house was. There were no sounds of running or talking—only a heavy silence filling the empty halls. Such a silence felt almost foreign in this home. But Misty shrugged it off as she stepped into the kitchen.</p>
<p>Pulling open the refrigerator door, Misty sighed as she retrieved a water bottle from inside. Unscrewing the cap, she raised the bottle to her lips and took a long sip. However, she nearly spit it out when a loud '<em>crash</em>' came from outside, startling her.</p>
<p>She quickly whipped her head towards the kitchen window, only to see the limp body of her husband lying face-down on the ground. Gasping, Misty dropped the bottle to the floor and rushed out to the backyard.</p>
<p>"A-Ash!" she cried, running over to where he lay motionless. Her heart was beginning to race as she knelt down beside him and turned him onto his back. "Ash! Can you hear me!?" she asked, taking his head gently into her hands. "Ash!"</p>
<p>A soft groan escaped Ash's mouth, and Misty sighed in relief. "Mist..?" he murmured, cracking his eyes open. "What hap—!" But before he could even finish his sentence, Ash sprung to his feet with a gasp. "Shoot!" he said hurriedly, waving Misty away as he brushed himself off. "Leave! Leave! You're gonna blow my cover!"</p>
<p>Misty paused, her eyes widening. "Blow your— What?" she managed, exasperated. "What do you mean 'blow your cover'?! I thought you were dead! Hey! What are you doing?!" she snapped, growing angry as she watched her husband attempt to climb the tree he had just fallen out of.</p>
<p>"<em>Misty</em>! I said—!"</p>
<p>"There he is!"</p>
<p>"Get him!"</p>
<p>Ash jumped at the sound of the voices as their three children and Pikachu ran towards them. "O-oh no!" he managed as he began to run across the yard. "They're gonna catch me!"</p>
<p>Before Misty could be bothered to ask questions, Skye, Reid, and Calla all sprinted past her, tackling Ash to the ground.</p>
<p>Ash let out a cry of feigned pain as he squirmed beneath the three children crawling all over him. "You got me!"</p>
<p>"There's no escape now, Mr. Champion!" Skye yelled as she pounded on Ash's back with her fists.</p>
<p>"Yeah, we got you!" Calla giggled, tugging at his arm.</p>
<p>"Surrender!" Reid cried, pulling at his father's other arm. "We've even got Pikachu on our side!"</p>
<p>"Pikachu pi!" Pikachu squeaked in agreement, clenching his paws with a devious smile.</p>
<p>Misty watched with her mouth parted just the slightest as Ash continued to wriggle beneath the weight of their children before loudly saying, "Never!"</p>
<p>The kids all let out surprised yelps as Ash managed to rise to his feet, Calla and Reid hanging from either arm as Skye clung on to his back tightly. However, they soon began laughing as Ash struggled to walk while supporting all of their weight. Even Pikachu let out a giggle as he started to run around his trainer's feet in circles.</p>
<p>Misty remained standing silently, observing the sight of her husband playing with all three of their children at once. With her and Ash both being away so often to focus on their training, this was something that she didn't get to see too frequently.</p>
<p>A smile crept onto her face as her children's laughs grew louder. After a moment, she began to run towards them.</p>
<p>"Hey! What do you think you're doing wrestling that Pokemon Master without me?"</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Champion</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em> <strong>April of 2029. Afternoon. Pallet Town, Kanto.</strong> </em>
</p>
<p>Ash sat on the fence that surrounded the outside of the Oak laboratory. He finally had a day off for the first time in a while. Between all of the missions he had been assigned lately and all of the challengers who came to face him, he barely had any downtime. Ash loved his job, but the life of a Champion always kept him busy—he cherished every day that he got to spend taking it easy in Pallet Town.</p>
<p>Misty had gone up to Cerulean City to visit Daisy for the day, and she had taken the twins with her. Ash opted to stay home, wanting to take the day to relax—too exhausted from work to spend extended time with Daisy. Inhaling, he took a breath. The Pallet air felt refreshing to him, and he wished he could take a few more days off—but somewhere in Kanto the Champion was always needed.</p>
<p>"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"</p>
<p>Ash perked up, looking over to see a flash of yellow sparks flying into the air. His eyes trailing the sparks, Ash saw Pikachu positioned a few yards away, his six-year-old daughter standing close behind. Ash had been left in charge of watching her for the day while Misty was out. He certainly didn't mind, and decided to take her over to Gary's lab so that she could play with the Pokemon. For the past hour, she had been running around wearing his Champion cape, pretending to battle alongside Pikachu. Ash found it to be somewhat endearing.</p>
<p>Her face was glowing with excitement at the attack, and she threw her arms into the air. "That was awesome, Pikachu!" she gushed, and Pikachu stood up, a light blush dusting his cheeks at the praise.</p>
<p>"Pika!" Pikachu said, rubbing his head.</p>
<p>Ash smiled at the interaction between Skye and Pikachu and hopped off of the fence, approaching them. "Hey, that wasn't bad," he praised. "You're a real trainer in the making, Skye."</p>
<p>Skye's face brightened, and she spun to face her father. "Really?"</p>
<p>Ash grinned, putting his hands on his hips. "Really!" He winked at Pikachu. "You already seem to have the hang of battling, after all!"</p>
<p>Pikachu smiled and jumped onto his trainer's shoulder, nuzzling affectionately against his cheek.</p>
<p>Skye smiled proudly, puffing out her chest. "That's 'cause I watch all your battles on TV!" she said enthusiastically. "And you're the best trainer in the world!"</p>
<p>Ash laughed, ruffling Skye's hair. "Thanks, kiddo. But I wouldn't be where I am now without my Pokemon." He glanced at Pikachu, who let out a happy "Pika!" in return. Ash scratched beneath its chin and continued, saying, "Working together with my Pokemon is how I became Champion."</p>
<p>Skye blinked, looking at Pikachu, and then looked back to Ash. "Did you always wanna be Champion?" she asked, tilting her head.</p>
<p>Ash blinked, surprised by his daughter's question. But she continued to stare up at him curiously and he let out a laugh, rubbing his nose with a finger. "For as long as I can remember!" he answered, glancing up to the sky. "I wanted to be Champion even when I was your age."</p>
<p>"How come?"</p>
<p>Ash raised his brows, glancing down at her as she waited eagerly for his answer. "Well…" he started, thinking it over as he scratched his head. He remembered sitting up by the TV late at night, watching Lance battle alongside his Dragonite—the two of them working together as one. He remembered hearing stories on the news about the Champion who saved a group of Pokemon from the clutches of Team Rocket. He remembered seeing Champions time and time again throughout the course of his journey jumping into action to protect the people and Pokemon that they loved when they were needed. He smiled. "Because I love Pokemon."</p>
<p>He closed his eyes, sliding his hands into his pockets, continuing with, "And because I want to be able to fight beside them and become stronger. That way, we can protect what we love together, and influence trainers all over the world to do the same." He opened his eyes. "That's why I wanted to be Champion."</p>
<p>When his gaze met Skye's again, he noticed something different about her. She stared up at him, her fists clenched tightly in front of her as he noticed the spark that flickered in her eyes. "I can do that, too!"</p>
<p>Ash watched her, his mouth parting slightly. Her smiled continued to grow, and she punched her fist towards him confidently, declaring, "Someday <em>I'm</em> gonna be Champion, Daddy!"</p>
<p>At first, Ash wasn't sure what to say, and Pikachu looked at him questioningly. His eyes were focused entirely on Skye as she stared at him, the cape she wore blowing slightly in the breeze. She was just a child speaking of a dream, but for a moment, she felt so much larger than that. Ash felt adrenaline rush through his body, and Pikachu took notice, sparking his cheeks.</p>
<p>His lips curved into a smile and he laughed, putting a hand to his forehead. Skye puffed her cheeks in frustration, but then Ash flashed her a grin and held his own fist out to her. "Then you'd better train hard," he said, and Skye's face lit up. "Because if you want to be Champion, then you and I are gonna have a battle that Kanto will never forget!"</p>
<p>Skye took a deep breath and pounded her fist against Ash's. "You're on!"</p>
<p>"I'll be waiting."</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em> <strong>March 31st, 2044. Night. Pallet Town, Kanto.</strong> </em>
</p>
<p>"Quick Attack!"</p>
<p>Pikachu sprung forward, racing ahead at lighting speed. Ash narrowed his eyes, watching as his partner zoned in on their target.</p>
<p>"Now, Iron Tail!" Ash commanded, pointing forward.</p>
<p>Pikachu obeyed, leaping into the air as his tail began to glow white. "Chu pi!" he cried, striking it against a log that had been set out in front of him.</p>
<p>Ash grinned, offering Pikachu a thumbs-up. "Nice work, buddy!" he praised, and Pikachu trotted over to him. "I know she likes to use close-range combat—we have to be ready for it at every opportunity. Always be prepared to strike!"</p>
<p>Pikachu flexed his arms, letting out a proud, "Pika!"</p>
<p>"Ash?"</p>
<p>Ash blinked and turned around to see Misty approaching him. "Oh, hey, Mist!" he greeted, and Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder.</p>
<p>Misty smiled, raising a brow. "Hey yourself," she said, crossing her arms. "I figured you'd be out here." She scanned him over. "Without a coat," she observed, picking up the jacket that was draped around her arm and handing it to him.</p>
<p>Ash let out a small laugh, accepting it. "Thanks," he said, slipping it on. "I guess I kinda got wrapped up in training and didn't realize how cold it was getting."</p>
<p>Misty sighed, pressing her fingers to her temple. "Jeeze, I'm always looking out for you, aren't I?" Ash snickered, scratching his cheek, and Misty sighed.</p>
<p>Nighttime was always quiet in Pallet Town—though this night seemed especially quiet somehow. The winter air left a strong chill, and with news of snow heading in, most people had locked themselves indoors. But Ash couldn't go in just yet—he had too much to take care of.</p>
<p>"Tomorrow's the day, huh?" Misty sighed, catching Ash's attention.</p>
<p>Ash took a deep breath, cracking a smile. "Yeah."</p>
<p>Misty eyed him, bringing her arms closer to her chest. "Are you nervous?"</p>
<p>Ash grinned and waved a hand dismissively. "No way!" he assured, pounding a fist to his chest. "I'm way too excited for our battle to even think about being nervous!"</p>
<p>"That sounds like something you would say," Misty admitted, and Ash put his hands to his hips.</p>
<p>"Of course!" he proclaimed, furrowing his brows. "After all—I've been waiting a long time for this battle."</p>
<p>Misty glanced at him and noticed the spark in his eyes. After a moment, she unfolded her arms and turned to face him fully. "Ash," she said seriously, and he looked to her. "She's strong."</p>
<p>Ash raised his brows, pausing, and Misty stared at him with unfaltering eyes. But after a moment, Ash smiled. "Of course she's strong," he said, closing his eyes. "You can't conquer the Elite Four and make it to the Champion <em>without </em>being strong."</p>
<p>"This is different," Misty rebutted. "She's not like the other trainers you've fought." Her eyes shifted to the ground, and her brows furrowed. "Every trainer who's battled you had to get through me first." She turned her head back to Ash. "And when I battled her, she had strength like I've never been up against before." Her shoulders tensed. "She could become Champion."</p>
<p>Ash opened his eyes, focusing his gaze forward. "I know that," he admitted, and Misty reeled back. "I think we've both known that for a long time."</p>
<p>Misty grew quiet, her shoulders losing tension. Ash took a deep breath and looked to the sky. "She's not a little kid anymore—she's come a long way."</p>
<p>Ash closed his eyes, remembering when she first left Pallet Town on her Pokemon journey, Squirtle waddling by her side. He remembered all of the phone calls he would receive while she was away—telling him all about the new Pokemon she had captured, her wins and losses, the friends and rivals she had made. He remembered the times he would witness her battle in tournaments and leagues—the moments when her heart was truly one with her Pokemon.</p>
<p>He remembered the moments where her life seemed to fall apart, when she wanted to give up on her dreams, but then always gathering the strength to stand back up again and push forward, her Pokemon by her side. He had witnessed Skye fight with and for Pokemon with all of the strength in her heart. Everything that she had done up until now was leading up to this inevitable battle, and Ash smiled, opening his eyes.</p>
<p>"If anyone is fit to be Champion, it's her," he said, clenching his fists by his sides. "And our battle tomorrow will prove if she's ready for that role."</p>
<p>Misty couldn't help but smile as she watched her husband stare up at the night sky, and let out a breath, relaxing. "…She really has grown up," she said quietly, glancing down. "I think that no matter what the outcome is tomorrow, I'll be proud of her."</p>
<p>Ash's smile widened as he stared at the stars shining above them. "…Me too."</p>
<p>A beat of silence followed before Misty smirked, looking to Ash. "And to think I thought you might feel weird about battling your own daughter," she teased, nudging him playfully.</p>
<p>Ash laughed lightly, gently nudging Misty back. "Of course not," he said, his demeanor suddenly becoming a little more serious as he looked to the horizon. "Tomorrow's battle isn't gonna be a battle between a father and daughter," he said, sliding his hands into his pockets. "It's a battle between rivals fighting for the same thing." Misty perked up, and Ash closed his eyes with a smile. "Skye is my rival. She always has been." His eyes shot open and Misty noticed the same spark from earlier. "And tomorrow will finally determine which one of us is stronger."</p>
<p>Misty huffed, following Ash's gaze on the horizon. "Then I'm looking forward to it."</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em> <strong>April 1st, 2044. Night. Viridian City, Kanto.</strong> </em>
</p>
<p>Ash sat on a bench in the locker room, Pikachu at his feet. The entire room seemed to rumble as people stomped loudly on the bleachers just above him. He could hear the excited cheers of the audience outside, just beyond the door. It seemed as if all of Kanto knew of this fated battle. The weather was freezing and there was a threat of snowfall—and yet then entire stadium was sold out. But Ash was able to sound all of those things out. His only focus was on the battle that was about to begin.</p>
<p>He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. He had been training for this. He had spent years preparing for this battle like no other, and now the time had finally come.</p>
<p>The blaring sound of the announcer's voice came from over the intercom, and Ash raised his head—that was his signal.</p>
<p>Rising to his feet, Ash looked down to Pikachu, putting on his baseball cap. "Are you ready?"</p>
<p>Pikachu smiled confidently. "Pikachu!" he said, jumping onto his trainer's shoulder.</p>
<p>Ash flashed him a smile, and lightly bumped fists with him. "Then let's go," he said, walking forward and pushing the doors open.</p>
<p>The crowd erupted into a cheer as Ash stepped onto the field. The cape he wore around his shoulders blew with the winter breeze, and his eyes were blinded by the stadium light shining brightly against the night sky. He adjusted the rim of his hat over his eyes so that he could see clearly across the field.</p>
<p>Flakes of snow were beginning to fall slowly to the ground, but he looked past that and saw Skye standing just yards away from him. Her fists clenched tightly as she waited for the battle to begin. Her Wartortle stood firmly by her side, staring Ash and Pikachu down. She breathed heavily, white puffs of smoke coming from her mouth with every exhale. Her gaze was focused entirely on Ash, her expression fierce. The spark Ash had seen in her eyes all of those years ago was gone and had ignited into a raging fire.</p>
<p>
  <em>'Someday I'm gonna be Champion, Daddy!'</em>
</p>
<p>Ash paused as he continued to stare at his daughter. He found himself unable to speak. The words he had spoken last night to Misty were the reality that was just in front of him. The girl standing before him now wasn't the same little girl who used to run around dressed in his cape, talking of big dreams. Standing before him now was an adult.</p>
<p>She was an adult who had experienced adventures, happiness, heartache, and struggles alongside her partners and friends. She was had grown into an adult who had given everything to fight for Pokemon and to protect what she loved. She was an adult who had grown into having the heart of a Champion.</p>
<p>
  <em>'Then you'd better train hard—because if you want to be Champion, then you and I are gonna have a battle that Kanto will never forget!'</em>
</p>
<p>"This battle will be a six-on-six match between the challenger, Skylar Ketchum of Pallet Town, and the Kanto League Champion, Ash Ketchum," the referee announced through a microphone. "Substitutions are allowed on both sides. There is no time limit."</p>
<p>The crowd roared with excitement, and many began to chant 'Ketchum' over and over. Ash wasn't sure which of them they were chanting for.</p>
<p>Ash felt his heart swell with pride as he remembered Skye proudly showing him her first Gym Badge—claiming that he had better watch out, because she was coming for him. Ash clenched his fists in his pockets, and Pikachu looked to him, tilting his head.</p>
<p>Skye pointed forward, calling, "Wartortle, offense!"</p>
<p>
  <em>'You're on!'</em>
</p>
<p>Wartortle bolted onto the battlefield, letting out a "War!" as he waited for Ash to send out his Pokemon.</p>
<p>Glancing to Pikachu, Ash smiled confidently and gave him a nod. Pikachu smiled back and jumped off of Ash's shoulder. He quickly ran onto the field, sparking his cheeks dangerously at Wartortle.</p>
<p>Ash looked to the ground. Everything that Skye had worked for since the moment she declared to him that she would be Champion was about to unfold. Skye was about to layout all of her power on the table for Ash to see. It was time to put her to the test.</p>
<p>It was time to battle.</p>
<p>The referee held up his green flag. "Begin!"</p>
<p>The crowd roared once more, and Ash felt a surge of an energy he had never felt before run through his entire being. He looked up, his eyes burning wildly as he punched forward.</p>
<p>"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!"</p>
<p>With that, Pikachu sprinted towards Skye and Wartortle—firing all of his electric energy forward. But Skye didn't falter as she took a breath to give her first command.</p>
<p>Ash smiled.</p>
<p>
  <em>'I'll be waiting.'</em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The Dance</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>March 15th, 2038. Night. Nimbasa City, Unova.</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>"If I see one more couple sneaking into that back room to make out, I'm gonna barf."</p><p>Briar cast an amused look at his friend as he sipped the drink in his hand. Skye was watching with disgust as a giggly boy and girl pushed their way through the sea of coordinators, slipping through an open doorway on the other side of the room before vanishing out of sight.</p><p>He snickered, taking another sip of his drink. "I think you're just jealous."</p><p>"Very funny," Skye scoffed, leaning back in her seat with crossed arms. "Love is gross. I have more decency than that."</p><p>Wartortle, who was sitting in the chair beside his trainer, gave her a doubtful look as he stole one of the cookies from off of the table, shoving it into his mouth.</p><p>"All right, Skye," Briar conceded with a chuckle, and she glowered at him. His focus shifted back to the doorway the happy couple had previously gone through. The door was closed, and Briar could only assume Skye was probably right about the whole making out thing.</p><p>That was when Briar noticed a flash of burgundy hair moving its way through the crowd of teenagers. He inwardly groaned when he noticed said burgundy-haired woman furiously scribbling away on a notepad she held in one hand.</p><p>"I don't think you're the only one keeping an eye on those couples, though," Briar noted, thumbing toward the woman who was now whipping out her cellphone—likely to snap some pictures.</p><p>Skye raised a brow, her gaze following Briar's thumb. "Oh." She blinked. "She's that journalist who writes for <em>Coordinating Insider</em>, isn't she?" Skye mused, glancing up in thought. "Alyssa something."</p><p>Briar snorted, leaning back in his seat with a slouch. "Yeah, journalist—if you can call her that," he grumbled. "But, yeah, Alyssa Gillen."</p><p>Likely sensing the bitterness in his voice, Skye smirked. "Ah, right. She's the one who wrote that article about your—"</p><p>Briar's cheeks flushed and he sat up again, alert. "<em>Yes</em>," he snapped, "that's the one."</p><p>Briar's memories flashed with a particularly embarrassing photo involving a pair of Hoenn Ranger boxer briefs plastered all over the front page of the tabloid a few months prior. A photo that Skye and Kierra refused to remove as their phone lock screens for the weeks following</p><p>"She must be having a field day here, then," Skye noted, drawing Briar's attention back in. "Lots of… juicy content, I guess." She sounded disgusted by her own choice of words.</p><p>"Yeah," Briar agreed with a sigh, "these post-Grand Festival events are always like a breeding ground for tabloids to get their hands dirty."</p><p>"Can't wait to see what type of scandal you and your boxers have gotten yourselves into tomorrow, then."</p><p>"<em>Ha ha</em>."</p><p>"You guys!" Kierra's voice called out to them. Briar turned his head to see their blonde friend running toward them. She slammed her hands down on the table, scaring Wartortle into dropping his cookie to the ground. "They have…" Kierra started, catching her breath, "an ice cream bar."</p><p>Snivy trailed behind his trainer, looking nothing short of exhausted. Briar assumed he had probably been spending the night keeping her out of trouble. The poor Pokemon looked like it could use a break.</p><p>Briar looked at her quizzically. "Kierra, don't you think you've had enough sweets tonight…?"</p><p>Kierra's jaw dropped, aghast. "What are you <em>implying</em>?"</p><p>Quickly realizing his mistake, Briar held up his hands in defeat. "Nothing," he stated. "Just keep in mind that I'm not gonna be the one cleaning up your puke tomorrow morning."</p><p>Kierra puffed her cheeks at him and Skye snickered. "Anyways," she continued, her voice a little more snippy than before, "are you guys in or not?"</p><p>"I'll pass," Briar said with a wave of his hand. "Can't say I've got much of an appetite for sweets tonight."</p><p>Kierra stuck her tongue out. "You're no fun." She turned her attention to their other friend instead. "Skye? What about you?"</p><p>Skye glanced between the two, then closing her eyes and offering a shrug. "...Yeah, sure. Why not?" She pushed herself away from the table rising to her feet.</p><p>Kierra squealed excitedly and made a beeline for the ice cream bar. Snivy let out a sound that sounded like a mix of disbelief and distress as he dashed after his trainer.</p><p>Skye laughed, putting a hand on Briar's shoulder. "Don't worry," she said lowly. "I'll take care of puke duty this time." Briar rolled his eyes and Skye gave his arm a pat before looking to her Pokemon. "Come on, Wartortle."</p><p>Wartortle looked between his trainer and the half-eaten plate of cookies on the table. As Skye began to make her way toward Kierra, Wartortle slid out of the chair he had been occupying all night. However, he ended up coming back less than a minute later to sneak the cookie platter away for himself before vanishing into the crowd alongside Skye.</p><p>Briar stretched, taking a look around the large room. The dances that the APC put on following the Grand Festivals every year were supposed to encourage coordinators and their Pokemon to intermingle following the competition. Everyone took the opportunity to dress to the nines, and he had to admit, even Skye, Kierra, and himself managed to clean up pretty nicely for the occasion.</p><p>From scanning the crowd, Briar was able to pick out a few familiar faces. On the middle of the dancefloor, Cade McGonnigal was aggressively grinding against his boyfriend, Sorrel Griffth. Sorrel looked like he was attempting to protest, his face painted with a mix of anger and embarrassment, but Cade took no mind to him. He was sure Cade was going to get hell for it later.</p><p>On another section of the dancefloor, Briar noticed a very red Emilie Liscio dancing alongside a very enthusiastic looking Nick Hayden. Emilie's brother, Louvel, stood off to the side, recording the whole thing on his phone. Briar was almost certain Emilie's soul must have up and left her body the second Nick asked her to dance. Though, the Zigzagoon wearing a bowtie that was sitting on top of Nick's head was a bit of a mood-killer. He wondered if Emilie thought the same.</p><p>Off of the dancefloor, Briar saw that Kierra and Skye were now making small talk with Amber Birch over the ice cream bar—Kierra stuffing her face in a way that made him cringe. But his brows furrowed upon seeing Amber by herself. Upon scanning the crowd a little more he finally managed to spot Amber's missing half.</p><p>Allie Hayden sat alone at a table near the back of the room. Her half-lidded eyes were glued to the screen of her phone as she mindlessly swiped up and down. Briar could only assume she must have been reading her barrage of Flitter notifications that followed her Grand Festival performance. She had done well, making it all the way to the finals after defeating Briar himself in the semi-finals. However, her opponent had been stronger, leaving Allie in second place.</p><p>Letting out a breath, Briar rose from his seat, striding over to where Allie sat. She didn't notice him approach, so he cleared his throat, saying, "What's with the long face?"</p><p>The glazed look that hung over Allie's eyes vanished, and she quickly looked up at Briar. For a moment, she said nothing, but then huffed and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I'm not sure what you're talking about."</p><p>Briar shrugged. "Well, it's just kind of unlike you to be sitting by yourself in the corner of a room while everyone else is off having fun."</p><p>Allie deadpanned. "Can I help you with something?"</p><p>"Not really," Briar said, pulling out a chair from the table and taking a seat. "I just wanted to make sure you were doing okay."</p><p>Allie let out a breath, averting her gaze. "Well, I'm fine," she assured. "Just thinking, that's all."</p><p>"Well, you'd better watch out. I saw Alyssa Gillen lurking around," Briar warned. "If you sulk too much you may just end up with your pout plastered on the cover of <em>Coordinating Insider</em>." Allie rolled her eyes as Briar thoughtfully put a hand to his chin. "I can see it now: Allie Hayden mopes after devastating loss at Unova Grand Festival."</p><p>Allie's cheeks flushed. "I'm not moping!" she snapped, and Briar smirked. Collecting her composure, Allie huffed and turned her head away. "And my loss wasn't <em>devastating</em>."</p><p>"So then this <em>is</em> about your loss."</p><p>"I never said that."</p><p>"You didn't have to."</p><p>Allie's cheeks puffed a bit in frustration. But when Briar raised a brow at her, she let out a long exhale. "It's just…" she started, leaning back in her seat, "a little frustrating, I guess. We were so close this time. I wanted my Pokemon to shine but… I messed up."</p><p>Briar watched as Allie twirled the ends of her hair around one of her fingers and cracked a smile. "...Yeah." Allie was quick to shoot him a dangerous glare, and Briar quickly realized his mistake, his cheeks flushing. "Don't go taking that the wrong way, though. I didn't mean it like that," he explained through nervous laughter. "From one loser to another, I just get how you're feeling, that's all."</p><p>Allie's eyes narrowed, unimpressed. "You know, you're not very good at this kind of thing."</p><p>"Yeah, maybe…" Briar chuckled lightly. "But, I think what I'm trying to say is, I get how it feels to think you've messed up and to feel like you've let your Pokemon down." He shrugged. "I mean, you really threw my team for a loop yesterday."</p><p>The thought of Ria's Dazzling Gleam sending his Charizard crashing to the ground caused an uneasy feeling to begin bubbling in Briar's stomach. It had been a great battle, but the end left a bitter taste in his mouth that he hadn't been able to shake off.</p><p>Allie's eyes flicked toward him, and there was a beat of silence before she finally said, "You put up a good fight."</p><p>Briar looked at Allie. Her eyes were genuine, and the sour bubbling in his stomach began to simmer away. He smiled. "And so did you—not just against me, but in the finals, too," he said, and Allie looked away, her eyes dull.</p><p>Briar sighed, leaning toward her a bit more. "Honestly, it doesn't really matter that you lost. Your goal is to make your Pokemon shine, right? Well, with the way you, Ria, and the others gave it your all out there, I'd say all of you were shining as bright as the stars." Allie looked at him, a small glimmer in her eyes, and Briar offered her a wink and salute. "Ranger's promise."</p><p>Allie inhaled through her nose, a light shade of pink dusting her cheeks as she averted her gaze. "You're such a dork," she scoffed, but then glanced at him, cracking a small smile. "But thanks, seriously."</p><p>He wasn't sure how much his words had actually helped. Perhaps for the moment they had alleviated some of the shadows he was sure were hanging over her. He knew that the only way either of them would be able to fully move on from their losses would be by training alongside their Pokemon to become stronger. But if he could make her smile even a little bit tonight, then that was something.</p><p>Briar grinned. "It's what I'm here for," he said, thumbing to himself. "Just be prepared to do a lot more losing in the future—I'm not gonna let you beat me like that again!"</p><p>Allie laughed lightly. "I'll stay on my toes, then," she responded, then wagging a finger at him. "I don't think I'll have to worry too much, though with the amount of time you spend watching cartoons instead of training."</p><p>Briar scowled. "Funny."</p><p>Allie giggled, her focus then shifting onto the dancefloor. After a beat, her face lit up, and she looked to Briar. "Hey, wanna dance?"</p><p>Briar paused, taking a moment to process what she had just said. Once it had fully settled in he could feel his face begin to heat up. "What? Me?" he asked, pointing to himself as he looked around the room cluelessly.</p><p>"No. Cade," Allie huffed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Yes, <em>you</em>!"</p><p>Briar gritted his teeth, shifting nervously. "Uh… well," he stammered. The thought of dancing with someone like Allie sent his head for a loop. He was sure his face must have been as red as the Crimson Ranger's suit by now. "I'm not a very good dancer."</p><p>"I can teach you."</p><p>"Alyssa Gillen is watching!" Briar reasoned, pointing to where the columnist was watching a couple of coordinators like a Pyroar stalking its prey. "What if she writes an article?!"</p><p>"Let her. I'm not scared of tabloids," Allie said bluntly, rising from her seat. "So do you want to dance?" she asked, holding out a hand to him. She then cracked a smirk. "Or is Pallet Jade too scared to dance with a pretty girl?"</p><p>Briar inhaled sharply through his nostrils, his heart pounding in his head. A rival had challenged him, and he couldn't refuse that. Standing up, he placed his hand on top of hers. "Pallet Jade isn't scared of anything!"</p><p>Allie giggled, tightening her grip on his hand. "That's what I thought."</p><hr/><p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. The Hat</h2></a>
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    <strong>March 20th, 2023. Afternoon. Pallet Town, Kanto.</strong>
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</p><p>"Okay, how do I look?" Ash asked, confidently placing his hands on his hips while flashing a toothy grin. "Am I ready to be coronated?"</p><p>After years upon years of training, gym battles, League matches, and a final showdown against Lance, the day had finally come. Ash Ketchum's moment of being crowned as the Kanto region's Champion was only a few short hours away. Everything was in place for the coronational ball that would be held that evening, so the only thing left to do was prepare the soon-to-be Champion himself.</p><p>Misty glanced over her shoulder, offering him a smile. "You loo-" She paused, squinting. "...Wait a second." Making sure that her eyes weren't deceiving her, Misty turned to face her husband fully. Her face fell and she snapped, "<em>Ash!</em> Are you really wearing that thing!?"</p><p>Ash frowned. "Hey, I think it looks cool!" he defended, grabbing at the ends of his white cape and lifting them up. "My mom made it for me!"</p><p>Misty groaned, rolling her eyes. "No, not the cape, dummy! Your hat!"</p><p>Ash blinked, glancing up at the piece of clothing in question. "My hat?" he mused, before shaking it off and looking back to Misty with a smile. "Yeah, of course! It's part of my look." He turned to Pikachu, who was sitting loyally on his trainer's shoulder. "Right, buddy?"</p><p>Pikachu nodded. "Pika!"</p><p>Misty pinched at the bridge of her nose, doing everything in her power to keep her cool. "Ash, this is a <em>formal event</em>! You can't wear a dirty old baseball cap to your coronation!" she chastised. "Take it off!"</p><p>Ash blinked. "What?"</p><p>"You heard me." Misty narrowed her eyes. "Take. It. Off."</p><p>Ash pursed his lips, furrowing his brows and reeling back a bit. "No way! This is my favorite hat!" he defended, placing his hands protectively on top of it. "Do you know how many-"</p><p>"How many postcards you had to send in to get it?" Misty sharply interjected. "Yes, I know! You've told that story a million times, but it doesn't change the fact that you shouldn't wear it to a coronation!"</p><p>"Why not?" Ash challenged, puffing out his chest. "Give me one good reason."</p><p>"Because it-" Misty started, stumbling on her own words as her anger began to boil over. "Because you just <em>can't</em>, Ash!"</p><p>"That's not a good reason, Mist."</p><p>Misty growled in frustration, dragging her hands down her face. "You're infuriating sometimes, you know that?!"</p><p>"<em>You're</em> the one who's mad about the hat," Ash pointed out.</p><p>"...<em>Fine</em>! Wear the stupid hat! See if I care!" Misty spat, pointing a finger in his face. "But don't you dare come to me ten years down the line saying you regret it!"</p><p>With that, Misty turned on her heel and stormed out of the bedroom. It was obvious that this was a battle she couldn't win, and she didn't want to waste her time with it when she needed to get ready herself. Maybe she could get Gary to talk some sense into him.</p><p>Ash looked to Pikachu, grinning as he gave the Mouse Pokemon a light fist bump in success. "No regrets here."</p><hr/><p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The Mess</h2></a>
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    <strong>April 19th, 2024. Afternoon. Slateport City, Hoenn.</strong>
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</p><p>"You're pregnant <em>again</em>?" Harley gasped, rising from his seat at the Hayden's kitchen table, slamming his hands against the surface. "You little minx!"</p><p>May flinched in alarm as she attempted to feed her infant daughter, nearly dropping the spoon filled with baby food she was holding. "Harley!" she snapped, a blush forming across her cheeks. "I told you! It was an accident!"</p><p>Allie stared at her mother cluelessly before focusing on the spoon of Oran Berry mush that had nearly plummeted to the kitchen floor.</p><p>Harley narrowed his eyes. "Why, exactly, do you think that <em>helps</em> your case?"</p><p>"Sush, Harley," Solidad scolded lightly. He glowered at her as she turned her attention onto May, smiling. "I think that's wonderful, May. I'm happy for you."</p><p>"Thanks…" May sighed, putting the spoon back into the jar of baby food and placing it on the counter. Allie pouted as May rubbed her temples. "I'm not exactly sure how to tell Drew, though…"</p><p>Harley snapped his fingers. "Spice it up. Tell him it's not his," he suggested before gasping and placing a hand to his chest. "Tell him it's <em>mine</em>." A devilish grin crossed his face as he relished in his plan. "Talk about drama."</p><p>"No," Solidad responded without missing a beat. She tilted her head. "Why the hesitance? It's not like you guys are new to this." She looked to Allie, who was now desperately reaching for the jar of baby food on the counter. "You already have Allie."</p><p>May blinked, taking notice of her daughter's struggle and picked the jar up again, stirring the spoon inside. "Well, that's just it," May started as Allie opened her mouth expectantly. "Allie's not even a year old yet, so I'm afraid Drew will be a little… <em>overwhelmed</em>." She groaned, leaning back against the counter, much to Allie's dismay. "This is a mess."</p><p>"Well, you don't need to tell him right away," Solidad offered. "It's completely normal to take a few weeks. Some people even wait until the end of their first trimester." Harley made a gagging noise, mouthing the word 'boring', as Solidad smiled with a shrug. "Why not wait until then?"</p><p>May blinked, glancing to the ceiling thoughtfully. "I guess I hadn't considered that…" She eyed her daughter, who was in the beginning stages of making a fuss. "I mean, Allie will be a little older by then, so maybe it's not the worst idea in the world…"</p><p>The sound of a door clicking stopped May in her tracks.</p><p>"Hey," Drew's voice called as he entered the kitchen. "I'm ho—"</p><p>"May's pregnant."</p><p>Harley's announcement had been so nonchalant that May almost believed she had misheard him. But Solidad's immediate reaction of covering his mouth and the pale look on Drew's face were enough to confirm that she hadn't.</p><p>Just as May's jaw dropped, so did the baby food she held in her hands. It crashed to the ground, splattering all over the floor. Harley continued to struggle in Solidad's grasp and Drew looked like he might pass out. To top it all off, that was when Allie began to cry.</p><p>This really <em>was</em> a mess.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The Story</h2></a>
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  <em> <strong>April of 2029. Night. Hearthome City, Sinnoh.</strong> </em>
</p><p>"Paul, would you mind putting Lizzie to bed?"</p><p>Paul looked up from the book he had been reading. Dawn was sitting across the room, hunched over her sewing machine, Lizzie in the chair beside her. Dawn glanced at him, offering a small smile. "Sorry, I just really need to finish hemming this."</p><p>Paul shut his book, shaking his head. "It's fine," he dismissed, rising to his feet and making his way over to Lizzie, scooping her up into his arms.</p><p>Lizzie looked from Paul and then to Dawn. Dawn smiled at her daughter. "I'll be up in a few minutes to say goodnight, sweetie," she assured, stroking Lizzie's hair. "Let Daddy tuck you in, okay?"</p><p>Lizzie nodded and Paul adjusted his grip on her, carrying her up the stairs and into her bedroom. He proceeded to help her get changed and unfolded her sheets to get her tucked in. As he placed the final blanket over her, he asked, "Do you need anything?"</p><p>Lizzie gripped at the blanket. "A story."</p><p>"A story?" Paul repeated.</p><p>Lizzie scooted closer to the edge of the bed. "Tell me one."</p><p>Usually Dawn was the one to do this. She was always able to read Lizzie's books to her with such enthusiasm–using different voices and exaggerated motions. He wasn't exactly great with that sort of thing, but Lizzie was asking and he didn't want to bother Dawn while she was working. "…All right."</p><p>He made his way over to the small bookshelf pressed against the wall. He crouched down, scanning through the different titles. However, Lizzie piped up with, "Not one of those." Paul blinked, turning to look at her. "I've read them all already. Tell me a new one."</p><p>Paul raised a brow. "…I don't know any."</p><p>Lizzie frowed, sinking a bit into her sheets. Paul rubbed the back of his neck, glancing at the ceiling. That was when a faint memory of a story his father used to tell him crept to the forefront of his mind. He lowered his hand, rising to his feet and taking a seat beside Lizzie's bed. "Well, there is one…"</p><p>Lizzie perked up, a smile gracing her lips as her full attention became focused on her father.</p><p>Paul took a breath. "There once was a pack of Lycanroc," he started, his voice low and quiet. "Within the pack was a family–a father, a mother, and their son, a Rockruff. The pack lived peacefully among other Pokemon in a forest, where the father was their leader. One day, hunters invaded the Lycanroc's land. The father fought to protect it, but the hunters were too strong.</p><p>"Day after day, the hunters would come, killing the Pokemon who lived in the forest. The father knew that their home was no longer safe and they needed to find a new one. The father told his pack that he would leave to find a new home. The son protested, saying that they needed the father in the forest to keep them safe.</p><p>"The father promised his son that he would return when the moon was full, and that once he did he would take them on a journey to their new home. The son told his father that he would wait for the full moon, then, and the father set off.</p><p>"While looking for their new home, the father crossed rivers, mountains, and valleys–the entire time keeping his nose to the ground so he could avoid the paths taken by hunters. Finally, the father could smell the hunters no more, and when he raised his head he laid eyes upon the most beautiful forest he had ever seen.</p><p>"When the father looked up at the sky, he realized that the moon was nearly full, and he needed to keep the promise he made to his son. So the father turned around and placed his nose back to the ground, following the trail home.</p><p>"The father knew he had finally arrived when he picked up on his son's scent. But when the father lifted his head to look at his son, he realized that his son wasn't a Rockruff anymore. Standing before him was a fully grown Lycanroc, beaten and scarred from battles.</p><p>"When the father asked what had happened, the son explained that the father had been gone for many moons. During that time the hunters had ravaged the forest, and without the father there to protect them, they had killed many Pokemon and members of their pack.</p><p>"The father had been so focused on keeping his nose to the ground so he could find a safe place, that he hadn't realized how much time had passed. While he was gone, the son had grown strong, and was now the forest's protector. However, because the father had not kept his promise and left them behind, the son resented him.</p><p>"The father tried to tell his son that even if he had been gone for many moons, that he had found a safe place, free from the hunters. But the son didn't believe him. His father had already lied to him once, and he wasn't going to believe him again. The son returned to the woods, leaving his father alone under the full moon."</p><p>As Paul finished the story, Lizzie simply stared at him with wide, blinking eyes. It was as if she was sitting on the edge of her seat waiting for him to continue.</p><p>After another beat of silence Paul said, "That's it."</p><p>Lizzie gaped at him, leaning forward. "But what about the father Lycanroc?"</p><p>"What about him?"</p><p>"Doesn't he take his son to their new home?"</p><p>"No," Paul said, shaking his head. "The son doesn't believe him, so he abandoned him."</p><p>"Oh… That's sad," Lizzie mumbled, pulling her blanket up to her mouth. She stayed quiet for a moment, then glanced at Paul. "Do you feel bad for him?"</p><p>"No. I think he was foolish."</p><p>Lizzie's face twisted with confusion. "Why?"</p><p>"Because he was so blinded by his goal that he became lost and left behind what was important. So the forest suffered and the son had to carry that weight," Paul explained, but Lizzie's expression didn't change. Paul let out a small breath, clarifying, "If he had just looked up every now and then, he could have seen the moon."</p><p>"I guess so…" Lizzie mused, frowning. "It's still sad, though."</p><p>"Some stories are sad," Paul said bluntly, "but they have lessons you can learn from."</p><p>"Is this story's lesson to look at the moon every night?" Lizzie asked, tilting her head.</p><p>"No. The lesson is to not lose sight of what's important to you, no matter how significant the things you're doing at the time may seem," Paul clarified, closing his eyes. "That's why the father's a fool. He lost sight of the moon and thus left the forest behind."</p><p>"Oh… I think I get it now," Lizzie said, making herself more comfortable beneath her sheets. As she rested her head against her pillow, she murmured, "I think the father did his best, though. I hope he and the son get better."</p><p>Paul watched her quietly, furrowing his brows. Letting out a sigh, he closed his eyes. A faint smile tugged at the corners of Paul's mouth as he said, "…Maybe that's a story for another night."</p><p>Lizzie's expression lit up and Paul rose from his seat beside her bed. Bending down, he stroked her hair. "Good night, Lizzie."</p><p>Lizzie yawned as Paul stepped away from the bed. When he reached the doorway, he flicked off her light. The bedroom went dark, but a small streak of moonlight crept through the window's curtains. Lizzie began to drift off to sleep, and Paul stayed put for a few seconds longer before quietly closing the door behind him.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
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<a name="section0007"><h2>7. The Protector</h2></a>
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    <strong>June 18th, 2033. Afternoon. Hearthome City, Sinnoh.</strong>
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</p><p>"Lizzie, you need to eat <em>something</em>…"</p><p>Lizzie lay on her side, facing away from her mother. She was quiet and unmoving, most of her body hidden away beneath her bedsheets.</p><p>Dawn frowned, her grip on the tray of food she held in her hands tightening. She exchanged glances with Piplup, who was sitting at the end of the bed, a worried look painted on his face. It had been three days, and Lizzie had barely eaten, or even left her room, much at all. Her heart ached, but Dawn found herself at a complete loss of what to do for her daughter.</p><p>Dawn opened her mouth to speak again, but the sound of the doorbell chiming throughout the halls of the house stopped her. They hadn't been expecting any guests, but she figured it could easily be Lucas or Barry stopping by to check in on things.</p><p>She let out a breath, placing the food tray down on Lizzie's nightstand. "I'll leave this here," Dawn said, reaching over to gently stroke her daughter's hair. "At least try to take a few bites of it."</p><p>Lizzie said nothing, unreacting to her mother's touch. Dawn frowned, pulling her hand away and glancing at Piplup. The Penguin Pokemon nodded in understanding, scooting closer to Lizzie and laying a flipper on her leg. Dawn offered him a small smile of gratitude before turning away and quietly closing Lizzie's bedroom door.</p><p>Dawn let out a long breath as she made her way downstairs and approached the front door. She rubbed her face, swallowing back the small lump that was starting to form in her throat as she reached for the doorknob and pulled it open.</p><p>She paused upon seeing a trio of people standing on her doorstep. They certainly weren't Lucas or Barry, and two of them were carrying what appeared to be video and sound equipment. She furrowed her brows together. "Can I help you—" That was when Dawn recognized the woman standing in the middle, and her eyes widened just the slightest. "…Rhonda?"</p><p>Rhonda, one of the reporters working for the ever-popular news network, <em>Sinnoh Now</em>, was someone Dawn had grown quite familiar with over the years. However, the last thing she had been expecting today was to see her standing outside of her home.</p><p>"Hello Dawn," Rhonda greeted, holding up a hand, "it's been a while."</p><p>"Uh, yeah," Dawn managed, shaking away her shock. Her focus shifted to the video camera that was pointed in her face, and she frowned. "I don't mean to sound rude but… what's <em>Sinnoh Now</em> doing here?"</p><p>"We were just hoping that we could ask a few questions," Rhonda responded.</p><p>The sound tech attempted to bring his microphone closer to Dawn, but accidentally bumped Rhonda in the face by mistake. She scowled, quietly scolding him as Dawn looked between the trio in confusion.</p><p>That was when the realization swept over her, and her face fell. "…You're here because of Austin, aren't you?"</p><p>Rhonda blinked, turning her attention away from her sound technician. She composed herself, frowning. "A terrible tragedy. Your family has our deepest condolences."</p><p>Dawn pursed her lips, swallowing hard as her grip on the doorknob tightened. She supposed she should have expected that the media would show up sooner or later. She had been so caught up in caring for Lizzie and Paul that it had somehow slipped her mind.</p><p>"Listen, Rhonda… I—"</p><p>"Is your husband home? Would he mind speaking with us?" Rhonda pressed, her expression becoming serious. "What about your daughter? How's she doing? There are claims that she was there. Can you confirm if that's true?"</p><p>Dawn leaned back as Rhonda stepped toward her. Inhaling sharply, she noticed that the camera was even closer to her than before. Her heart began to race and her stomach felt as if it were doing backflips.</p><p>"I… I appreciate <em>Sinnoh Now's</em> concern, but…" Dawn swallowed, taking a beat to compose herself. She wasn't used to this, but she needed to do what had to be done to protect her family. Taking a breath, her expression grew firm as she said, "we're not looking to speak with the media right now. Our family's going through a lot, and we'd like to have some privacy for a while."</p><p>Rhonda exchanged glances with her crew before looking back to Dawn and nodding. "I completely understand. I can't imagine what you must be feeling losing your nephew," she said, and for a moment Dawn felt relief wash over her. However, just as quickly as it came, it went when Rhonda added, "But if we could just—"</p><p>"I'm sorry," Dawn abruptly apologized. "Goodbye, Rhonda."</p><p>Dawn had no idea what Rhonda was going to say next, because within an instant she shut the door in their faces. For the next minute, she stood frozen, not taking her hand off of the doorknob. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as her fingers trembled just the slightest.</p><p>As soon as she heard the <em>Sinnoh Now</em> trio shut the door to their van and drive away, Dawn let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She turned around, pressing her back against the door as she slowly slid to the ground.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>
    <strong>July 20th, 2033. Afternoon. Hearthome City, Sinnoh.</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>Summers in the Sinnoh region had a tendency to be on the milder end when compared to places like Hoenn, or even Kanto. However, Dawn felt like this summer seemed to be particularly unforgiving as the sun burned down on her bare shoulders.</p><p>The sunhat she was wearing did little to protect her from the harsh rays, and she was sure her skin would be Cheri Berry red later on. But someone had to tend to the flowerbed outside her shop. Dawn wasn't about to let her tulips wither away in the heat.</p><p>"Thanks for your help, Piplup," Dawn said, looking at her Pokemon, who was in the middle of tilting a watering can over a bed of flowers. "Do you mind watering the tulips, too, please?"</p><p>"Piplup!" he chirped in response, rushing over to the tulips and tilting the can over them as well.</p><p>Dawn smiled, wiping a bead of sweat away from her forehead. They were almost done, and Dawn could practically feel the relief of the fan in her bedroom blowing against her exhausted body.</p><p>But before she could go back to tending her flowerbed, a voice came from behind her, "Dawn Rebolledo, right?"</p><p>Dawn paused, furrowing her brows together and looking over her shoulder. A man and woman she didn't recognize stood in her fence's open gateway. However, even if Dawn didn't know the two individuals standing in her front yard, the camera resting on the man's shoulder was a dead giveaway as to where they came from. They were just like all the others who had been showing up at her doorstep over the past month.</p><p>"Can I help you with something?"</p><p>"Sandra Harris. <em>Jubilife TV</em>," the woman said, holding up an identification badge. Dawn resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Is your husband home?"</p><p>"No," Dawn answered flatly, turning back to her flowers. "He's out training."</p><p>Piplup scrunched his face in confusion, looking from Dawn and back to intruders suspiciously.</p><p>"Well then, do you have a couple of minutes to answer some questions for us?" Sandra asked, retrieving a pen and notepad from her bag.</p><p>Dawn cringed. "I'm a little busy right now."</p><p>"It will only take a second," Sandra reasoned, barely giving Dawn the chance to respond before adding, "As I'm sure you know, Maylene Rebolledo confirmed with the League yesterday afternoon that she would be stepping down from her position within the Sinnoh Elite 4." Dawn pressed her lips into a hard line, her grip on the watering can tightening. "Do you believe that it's because she holds the Champion responsible for her son's death?"</p><p>"No comment."</p><p>"Then what about your husband?" Sandra prodded. "Rumors are starting to circulate that he's considering leaving the Champion seat. Is this true?"</p><p>Now <em>that </em>was news to her. Dawn could feel her temper flare a bit, and she snapped her head back to face Sandra and the cameraman. "Absolutely not."</p><p>"Then what do you have to say to the people who think he <em>should </em>step down because of all of this?"</p><p>"That they're uninformed and misguided. Paul's an incredible Champion," Dawn scowled, finally rising to her feet to fully face the two, firmly placing her hands on her hips. "Look, don't you have something better you can be doing? Go report on real news instead of baseless rumors."</p><p>"The state of the Champion League<em> is </em>news, Mrs. Rebolledo," Sandra defended, pressing forward with, "How about your daughter? She'll be ten soon right? Will she postpone her Pokemon journey? Is she still planning on leaving home next spring?"</p><p>Dawn let out an exasperated breath. "<em>How </em>are my <em>nine-year-old</em> daughter's plans any of your business?" she snapped, and when Sandra didn't waver, Dawn added, "Here's something you can write about—tell <em>Jubilife TV</em> and all your other network friends to stay away from my property and leave my family alone." She turned her back to the two once more, marching to the front door and swinging it open. Piplup trailed close behind, sticking his tongue out at them. "Now go <em>away</em>."</p><p>"Mrs. Rebolledo. Just one more—"</p><p>Dawn glanced back, shooting the pair a dangerous look. "<em>Piplup!</em>"</p><p>Piplup understood without any further command needed. He inhaled before opening his mouth and projecting a stream of bubbles at the two reporters. "Pipluuup!"</p><p>The cameraman gasped, jumping out of the way to protect his equipment, thus allowing his collegue to take the full brunt of Piplup's attack. Dawn took a moment to watch in satisfaction as Sandra yelped and landed on her rear, drenched in frothy bubbles. Before she could peep another word, Dawn slammed the door behind her, locking herself in her home.</p><p>For a moment, Dawn stood there, glowering. Her hand was clenched tightly around the doorknob. She let out a huff, tearing the sunhat from her head and whipping it to the ground. But she lost the tension in her shoulders when a low voice spoke from behind her, "You don't need to keep doing this."</p><p>Dawn paused, blinking. She glanced back to see Paul standing a few feet away from her. A hard frown was painted on his face, his brows knitted together. "The next time they show up, let me handle it. You must be at your limit."</p><p>Dawn's grip on the doorknob loosened and her expression softened. Inhaling quietly, she turned on her heel to face Paul fully. "No need to worry. I'm fine," she assured, a small smile gracing her lips. "You and Lizzie have been through enough. Cooling off a few reporters in this heat is the least I can do."</p><p>Paul's gaze stayed fixed on Dawn, his expression unwavering. "They're saying things about you."</p><p>Dawn couldn't argue that. There had been a few choice articles written about her "aggressive behavior" in the tabloids. She had even heard whispers coming from the customers who visited her shop (customers who, Dawn had noticed, never actually bought anything). And she was almost certain that after today's incident, her sunburnt, sweaty, dirt-covered face would be plastered all over the nightly news.</p><p>She inwardly winced at the thought of the concerned phone calls she'd be getting from her mother, Zoey, Kenny, or possibly even Ash later that day. Dealing with all of the pitying phone calls she received from her friends was almost as exhausting as dealing with the media. She knew their hearts were in the right place, but she could only bring herself to tell the story so many times before she was worn out.</p><p>But she composed herself, shaking her head. "I'm willing to be the psycho, washed up Top Coordinator any day if it means keeping my family safe," she explained, and Paul's frown deepened. "Sure. Maybe I'm a little tired of chasing away reporter after reporter, but I'll do it for as long as I have to…" Dawn raised a hand, gently touching his cheek. "I won't let them hurt you. Either of you."</p><p>Paul's eyes softened as he looked at Dawn. He said nothing. She playfully smirked up at him, pulling her hand away and clenching her fists. "So keep them coming! Piplup and I will make sure every last one of them leaves here soaking wet!"</p><p>Piplup puffed out his chest in pride, placing his fins to his hips. "Lup!"</p><p>The next thing Dawn knew, Paul had his arms wrapped around her. His face was pressed against the side of her head and barely above a whisper, he said, "I'm sorry."</p><p>Hearing that left Dawn's heart heavy and aching. Her eyes stung, so she shut them tightly, pushing the sensation away. She raised her arms, wrapping them around his neck to pull him close.</p><p>"You don't have to be."</p><hr/><p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
</p>
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<a name="section0008"><h2>8. The Babysitter</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>June of 2029. Afternoon. Slateport City, Hoenn.</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>"Now, Cacturne! Needle Arm!"</p><p>Obeying the command of its trainer, Cacturne leaped into the air, the needles on its arms extending, glowing in a white light. A Shadow Ball attack hovered in place before it, and Cacturne pushed its Needle Arm attack straight through it. The Shadow Ball burst, sparkling purple specs raining around Cacturne as it landed back on the ground.</p><p>"Turne!"'</p><p>It had been a while since Harley had last gotten the chance to practice his appeals. Work had been crazy with the contest season kicking into gear. He felt like he was constantly on the move, so training had become a bit of an afterthought. Cacturne and the others had become restless as a result. So, he had decided to spend his day off given them some much-needed training time.</p><p>"So cool…"</p><p>The small voice took Harley by surprise. Upon spinning around to its source, he could see Allie standing in the doorway that led to the backyard. He had almost forgotten that he had been left on babysitting duty while May and Drew were out of town for the day.</p><p>Harley deadpanned. "Hey, Bratinella," he snapped. "Didn't I tell you to stay inside and play with matches or something?"</p><p>"I wanted to see Cacturne!" Allie pipped up, rushing to the Pokemon's side. "He's so cool!"</p><p>She admired Cacturne with sparkling eyes, causing him to blush and rub the back of his head. "Cac! Cacturne!"</p><p>"Decent taste…" Harley huffed, then waving her off. "Now scram. The knives are on the kitchen counter. Go play."</p><p>"Can I see another one?" Allie asked eagerly, spinning to face Harley.</p><p>Harley raised a brow. "A what?"</p><p>"Another appeal!" Allie clarified, bouncing on her heels. "Yours are so different from Mom and Dad's! I like them!" She batted her eyelashes, clasping her hands together. "Please show me another?"</p><p>Harley faltered at the compliment. Normally he'd be disgusted by the barf-worthy display of Baby Doll Eyes. But something in his stomach churned this time and he grimaced.</p><p>His eye twitched as he readied another one of his Poke Balls. "…I wish I could hate you."</p><hr/><p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
</p>
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<a name="section0009"><h2>9. The Hairdo</h2></a>
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    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>November of 2039. Evening. Jubilife City, Sinnoh.</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>Briar winced as Kierra aggressively ran a comb through his hair. She'd been at it for what felt like hours. "Are you almost done?" he asked, his tone pleading. He was beginning to regret telling her about his date planned for that night.</p><p>"Almost," Kierra assured, scraping the comb's teeth against his scalp once more. "Allie's going to be <em>so </em>impressed. You look just like Stanley Jones."</p><p>Briar furrowed his brows, glancing up at his friend quizzically. "<em>Who?</em>"</p><p>Kierra gawked, pulling the comb away from his hair. "Uh, the actor?" Briar continued to stare at her cluelessly and Kierra rolled her eyes. "<em>The Young and the Pokemon</em>? <em>Jubilife Star's</em> hottest man of the year? My dream husband?" she babbled, dunking her hand into a jar of something that Briar assumed was hair gel.</p><p>"Uh, sorry," Briar said as Kierra slabbed the goo into his hair, "no clue who you're talking about."</p><p>Kierra clicked her tongue, shaking her head. "Well," she started, aggressively running her fingers through his hair, "doesn't matter." She closed her eyes, turning her nose up. "Point is, you owe me. Allie's gonna have her socks knocked off."</p><p>Briar scrunched his nose skeptically, but before he could say anything, the door opened. Skye entered the room, a paper bag full of groceries in hand and Wartortle by her side.</p><p>Kierra's face lit up, and she spun Briar in his chair to face their friend. "L<em>ook</em> at my handiwork!" she proclaimed, presenting Briar as if he were a work of art. "Isn't he handsome?"</p><p>Skye said nothing for a long moment, and Briar smiled sheepishly at her. Kierra had yet to show him the result of her labors in a mirror, so he wasn't really sure what to expect. But as Skye narrowed her eyes and twisted her mouth, he got an awful sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.</p><p>"What did you <em>do</em> to him?"</p><hr/><p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
</p>
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<a name="section0010"><h2>10. The Premonition</h2></a>
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  <em>
    <strong>May of 2037. Afternoon. Nimbasa City, Unova.</strong>
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</p><p>"Forget it. I'm not doing it."</p><p>Allie reeled back. "What? Why not?"</p><p>The Don George Battle Club was bustling. Trainers were flooding the lobby, waiting in long lines to sign up for the battle tournament that would be held later that day. Amber had been one of the trainers keen on entering as well. That being said, her sudden change of heart came as a surprise to Allie.</p><p>Amber bit her bottom lip, avoiding Allie's gaze. "Because if I enter I'll just make a fool out of myself," she explained, shuffling her feet. "It'll be better if I just watch."</p><p>Allie furrowed her brows, glancing from Amber to the trainers packed throughout the lobby. Nearby, she spotted Skylar Ketchum enthusiastically talking about something to her friends, Kierra and Briar. Not far from her, Allie noticed the familiar, purple hair of Lizzie Rebolledo. She wasn't paying much attention to the trainers around her—she had her nose stuck in a book instead.</p><p>Allie frowned. That explained Amber's sudden reluctance. The prospect of being matched against Lizzie was probably wracking her nerves.</p><p>"You know that's not true," Allie assured, whipping out her PokeNav and scrolling through her apps. "And your horoscope agrees," she said confidently, shoving the device in Amber's face. "Look!"</p><p>Amber winced, leaning back as her eyes scanned what was printed in the screen:</p><p>
  <em>The stars look favorably upon Scorpios today. Success is imminent if they put their all into the tasks they're presented with.</em>
</p><p>Amber whined, pushing the PokeNav away. "You can't always rely on that stuff, Allie!"</p><p>"Yes, you can," Allie said, unwavering.</p><p>Amber sighed, rubbing her temple. "Well, either way, I'm not entering," she dismissed, her gaze wandering to Skye, who was now poorly attempting to pick up her Wartortle. "I'll root for Skye instead."</p><p>Allie crossed her arms, frowning. Then, she paused, pursing her lips for a moment before letting out a sigh. "…Okay," she dismissed, giving Amber a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. "Whatever you—!"</p><p>But just as Allie's hand touched Amber's arm, she froze. She inhaled sharply, her eyes widening.</p><p>Amber's face seemed to lose a bit of color at this, and she drew back. She recognized that look. "W-What? What is it?" she asked, panic evident in her voice. She looked around, leaning in close to Allie and lowering her voice. "What did you see?"</p><p>For a moment, Allie said nothing. But then she closed her eyes, turning her head away. "…Nothing. It's nothing," she said simply, and Amber blinked. "I just think you'd regret it if you don't enter the tournament," she explained with a shrug. "But who knows? Not me."</p><p>Amber gaped at her friend for a few seconds longer. Then her gaze shifted back to Lizzie before returning to Allie. She pressed her lips into a hard line before finally spitting out, "…Fine! I'll enter!"</p><p>And without another word, she marched off to the front desk to register. Allie smiled, satisfied. But that was when she felt the heavy stare of eyes drilling into her back.</p><p>"Kirlia!" Ria's voice snapped from behind Allie.</p><p>Allie turned to face her Pokémon, who had her arms crossed and was looking at her trainer disapprovingly.</p><p>Allie puffed her cheeks. "…What? Don't look at me like that," she said, but Ria didn't falter. "She just needed a little motivation boost! It's not like I lied," Allie defended, turning her nose up. "I said I didn't see anything, <em>didn't I</em>?"</p><hr/><p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
</p>
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<a name="section0011"><h2>11. The Ramen</h2></a>
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    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>August of 2035. Afternoon. Lavaridge Town, Hoenn.</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>"Thanks for the food!"</p><p>Emilie's eye lit up upon seeing the bowl of noodles in front of her. "Wow! It looks great!"</p><p>Louvel inhaled the scent, sighing contently. "Hoenn really does have amazing food, huh?"</p><p>Nick grinned. "I know, right?" He pounded a fist to his chest, and the Zigzagoon sitting in his lap mimicked the motion. "My mom told me this is the best ramen place in all of Lavaridge!" He looked down at the Tiny Raccoon Pokemon. "Okay, Zigzagoon, let's dig in!"</p><p>"Zi!" Zigzagoon chirped, climbing out of Nick's lap and jumping onto the table.</p><p>However, both Emilie and Louvel's faces dropped into a look of disgust at what they saw next. As Nick picked up his chopsticks and began slurping away at his noodles, Zigzagoon shoved his snout into the same bowl, lapping up the broth with his tongue.</p><p>An awkward silence (that went unnoticed by Nick and Zigzagoon) fell between the trio. Emilie and Louvel exchanged uncomfortable glances as Zigzagoon began chewing on a piece of leek from the ramen bowl–small bits falling from his mouth and plopping back into the broth.</p><p>Louvel leaned forward, coughing. "…Hey, Nick?"</p><p>Nick glanced at his friend, his mouth full of noodles. "Mm?"</p><p>"Should Zigzagoon really be doing…" Louvel's face twisted as Zigzagoon lifted his head to look at him, licking his broth-covered whiskers, "…that?"</p><p>Nick blinked, looking down at his partner, and then back at Louvel. "Sure! Why not?"</p><p>"I just think it's a little…" Louvel started, lulling his head from side to side, "<em>unhygienic</em>, is all."</p><p>Zigzagoon frowned, folding his ears back and drooping his head, offended. "Zigzagoon…"</p><p>Nick's face flushed with anger. "Hey, don't be mean!" he snapped, putting a hand on Zigzagoon's head reassuringly. "He washed his paws first!"</p><p>"That isn't what I meant…"</p><p>"I think…" Emilie piped up, her voice quiet and hesitant. "Louvel is trying to say that maybe Zigzagoon should have his<em> own</em> bowl of ramen…" She shifted uncomfortably, adding softly, "…instead of eating out of yours…"</p><p>Nick's brows scrunched in confusion. "Hm? Why?" he asked, looking at Zigzagoon, who blinked in response. "I don't mind sharing with him. It's not like he has germs." Nick grinned, ruffling Zigzagoon's fur. "He's more of my brother than Allie is, after all!"</p><p>Zigzagoon puffed out his chest in pride. "Zig!"</p><p>Louvel and Emilie looked at each other, and then back to Nick and Zigzagoon who had continued eating out of their shared ramen bowl. Emilie chose to look away, seeming to have lost her appetite.</p><p>Louvel sighed, rubbing his temple with his fingers. "…You know what? Do what you want." He pushed his bowl away. "I'll just take mine to-go."</p><hr/><p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
</p>
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<a name="section0012"><h2>12. The Boot</h2></a>
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  <strong>
    <em>March of 2034. Late Morning. Route 21, Kanto.</em>
  </strong>
</p><p>"It's not working."</p><p>"You need to be <em>patient</em>, Skye."</p><p>"I <em>am</em>."</p><p>As the boat rocked gently beneath them, Misty sighed, rubbing her temples. Skye sat on the boat's edge, a fishing rod in hand and a pout plastered on her face.</p><p>Skye was due to leave for her Pokémon journey in a month, and Misty had promised to help her get some Pokémon catching practice in before she left. Skye had originally shown a spark of excitement at the prospect of catching Pokémon, but once she realized it was fishing that spark seemed to disappear entirely.</p><p>"You're not," Misty chided, placing her hands to her hips. "You've barely been at it for five minutes."</p><p>"Five minutes too long!" Skye retorted, turning her head away. "Fishing won't do me any good when Pokémon are actually jumping at me left and right in the wild."</p><p>Misty deadpanned. "That's not how it works," she said, taking a seat beside her daughter. "Part of being a good Pokémon Trainer is learning how to be patient. I think fishing is a good way to practice that." Her expression turned sly. "Sometimes it's taken me hours to get a catch."</p><p>Skye's face fell. "<em>Hours?</em>" Misty nodded and Skye grumbled, "but I don't have hours to catch one stupid water Pokémon…"</p><p>As if on cue, Skye's line began to tug. She gasped, rising to her feet as she started to reel it in. "Hey! I think I've got something!" she said, triumphantly grinning at her mother. "See? I don't need to be patient."</p><p>Misty scrunched her face, looking over the boat's edge at the end of Skye's line. "Luck."</p><p>Skye chuckled to herself, giving her rod a final, firm tug as something broke through the water and landed on the boat.</p><p>Skye's elation dissipated into utter disbelief. "A boot?!"</p><p>Misty held back a laugh, turning her head away with a smirk. "Back to square one."</p><hr/><p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
</p>
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<a name="section0013"><h2>13. The Sleepless</h2></a>
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    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>June 19th, 2033. After Midnight. Hearthome City, Sinnoh.</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>The hallways of the Rebolledo household were quieter than normal. Dawn could have sworn that she heard nothing but the sound of her own heartbeat in her head. It pounded like a drum as she reached for the bedroom door and carefully pushed it open.</p><p>The room was dark, the flashing "3:04 AM" from the alarm clock on the nightstand standing out against the blackness. The little bit of moonlight that crept through the cracks of the window blinds was enough for her to make out the figure sitting on the edge of the bed.</p><p>Paul was hunched forward, his face buried in his hands. He was so still that Dawn could barely see the rise and fall of his shoulders with each shallow breath that he took. His hair was a mess and, while it was hard to tell, she was sure his clothing still must have been damp from the rain.</p><p>Dawn frowned, placing her hand against the doorframe. "I think Lizzie's finally asleep," she said quietly. Her hand trembled, and she curled it into a fist, taking a long, slow breath. "You should get some rest, too. It's been a long day."</p><p>Paul didn't respond. He didn't even move. He continued to sit perfectly still with his head between his palms. Dawn bit her lip, swallowing down the lump that was beginning to form in her throat. Her eyes stung, but she knew that she couldn't give in. Not in that moment, at least. Paul didn't need that.</p><p>Inhaling through her nose, she said, "I'll give you some space for now." Dawn stepped back, gripping at the doorknob. "But if you need me I'll–"</p><p>"Please…" Paul's voice was so quiet that Dawn almost didn't hear him at all. She stopped, gripping the knob a little tighter as she turned to face him. He hadn't moved from the position she had found him in, but he somehow managed a low, "…Don't leave."</p><p>Dawn didn't hesitate. Letting go of the knob she walked toward him, her legs letting go as she sunk down to sit beside him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face into his shoulder as he returned her embrace.</p><p>"I won't."</p><hr/><p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
</p>
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<a name="section0014"><h2>14. The Student</h2></a>
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    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>January of 2038. Afternoon. Route 20, Unova.</strong>
  </em>
</p><p>"Sceptile!" Amber cried, rushing to her Pokemon's side. Sceptile took a knee, wincing in pain after having taken a blow from a wild Whirlipede's Poison Sting attack. Amber frowned, panic began to set in as she examined Sceptile's injury. "Are you okay?"</p><p>Sceptile gritted her teeth, giving Amber a small nod. "Tile…"</p><p>N watched as the frightened Whirlipede rolled away into the bushes, then setting his eyes on Sceptile. He gave the Forest Pokemon a once over before approaching. "It could be worse," he started, kneeling down in front of them. "Don't worry, Sceptile isn't in as much pain as you think."</p><p>Amber blinked, watching as N reached into his bag and pulled out a Pecha Berry. He held it out for Sceptile. "Here, eat this."</p><p>Sceptile gave the berry a sniff before slipping the entire thing into her mouth. After a beat, her face lit up and the purplish hue that covered her face disappeared. "Sceptile!"</p><p>Amber reeled back. Just a moment ago she was certain that she would need to rush Sceptile to the nearest Pokemon Center. But after a single bite from that Pecha Berry she seemed good as new. "That's… amazing," Amber gaped, looking between N and her Pokemon. "You were able to read Sceptile's feelings so quickly." She smiled sheepishly, scratching her cheek. "I guess I still have a lot to learn."</p><p>"You do," N said bluntly, and Amber glanced to the ground. He rose to his feet, looking down at her and cracking a small smile. "But I can sense that your heart is genuine, and it shows just how important Pokemon are to you."</p><p>Amber blinked looking up at him before looking to Sceptile, who smiled at her. Amber loosened up. "Yeah…" she said quietly, placing a hand to Sceptile's nose, "they mean the world to me."</p><p>N nodded. "Then you'll get there."</p><hr/><p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
</p>
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<a name="section0015"><h2>15. The Promise</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <strong>March 23rd, 2040. Evening. Route 211, Sinnoh.</strong>
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</p><p>The Sinnoh air felt sharper than usual, and with night quickly approaching Nick knew that it would only get colder. Though, he was sure that the chill of Mount Coronet wouldn't bother him once the adrenaline from what they were about to do really kicked into gear.</p><p>"I guess this is it, then…" Skye announced to the group, snapping Nick out of his thoughts and bringing him back to reality. He focused his gaze onto her as she flicked her eyes around their circle of friends. "Everyone, do your best," she encouraged, flashing them all a small smile and pushing her fist into the center of the circle. "We've got this."</p><p>Nick and Emilie exchanged glances with each other, cracking confident smiles of their own as they pushed their fists into the circle, too. The other members of the group were soon to follow the motion.</p><p>"Good luck, guys. Let's give them hell," Skye said, pulling her fist away. As the circle began to disperse, she mounted herself onto the Braviary standing behind her, giving him a swift pat on the neck. "Braviary, let's go."</p><p>Braviary let out a powerful cry before flapping his wings and leaping into the air. Nick watched as several other members of their group began to do the same–some riding off on their own Pokemon while others hitched a ride if they didn't have one big enough to carry them. He gripped at the handles of his bike. This was really happening.</p><p>"Nick, come on!" Louvel called from a distance, already sitting on the back of his Gogoat with Emilie in tow.</p><p>"Yeah, be right there," Nick responded, turning to look at the Tiny Raccoon Pokemon sitting on his shoulder. "Okay, Zigzagoon… you ready?"</p><p>Zigzagoon grabbed at the goggles on his forehead, pulling them down to cover his eyes. "Zi!"</p><p>"Hey."</p><p>Nick paused, the voice catching him off-guard. When he turned around to see that his sister was the one standing there, he raised his brows. "Oh. Hey."</p><p>Allie shifted, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she looked her brother up and down. "You got everything you need?"</p><p>Nick exchanged glances with Zigzagoon before cracking a smile. "Yeah," he assured, adjusting the straps of his backpack. "Bike's ready and Splash Plate's secured. Team Rocket doesn't stand a chance against Zigzagoon and me."</p><p>Zigzagoon saluted. "Zigzagoon!"</p><p>"Right…" Allie said, a small smile gracing her lips. There was a beat of silence, followed by Allie saying, "Mom's probably gonna have our heads when we get home."</p><p>"Yeah," Nick snickered, scratching at his nose. "And Dad's gonna chew our ears off for the next two months."</p><p>"Try two years," Allie corrected, and the two laughed quietly. But once the laughter died, Allie's smile faded into a frown. "Listen, Nick…" she started, looking him in the eye, "be careful, okay?"</p><p>The look that Allie was giving him was more serious than he was used to seeing from her. It was something he couldn't quite describe, but for some reason it left him with a sinking feeling in his stomach.</p><p>Quickly shaking it off, he flashed her a grin, pulling his goggles over his eyes. "Hey, you know I always am!"</p><p>The next thing he knew, Allie was lunging forward, wrapping her arms around him in a tight embrace. "I'm serious…" she huffed, squeezing him tighter. "If you die, I'm gonna kill you."</p><p>For a moment, Nick wasn't sure how to respond. He felt tense at the implication of Allie's words, but he couldn't let her see that. He eased up just the slightest. "I'll be okay. Promise," he assured, returning her embrace. "Plus, I don't wanna become a zombie just to have you kill me again."</p><p>Allie laughed lightly, pulling away from her brother. "Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that, then."</p><p>Nick nodded, offering her a smile. "…You be safe too, Allie."</p><p>Allie inhaled. "I will."</p><hr/><p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
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<a name="section0016"><h2>16. The Question</h2></a>
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    <strong>June of 2022. Late Morning. Hearthome City, Sinnoh.</strong>
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</p><p>"<em>I think I'm in love with you, and I'm terrified…</em>"</p><p>The actors on the television screen leaned closer to one another, going in for a kiss. Piplup groaned, covering his eyes with his flippers. Dawn, on the other hand, couldn't hold back her tears. She raised a tissue to her mouth and sniffled into it.</p><p>"Why are you crying?" asked a low voice. Dawn turned her head to see Paul standing in the doorway, his brows furrowed. "Are you in pain?"</p><p>She blinked, wiping away her tears."What?" she asked, then glancing down at the tissue in her hand and perking up. "Oh, no need to worry. I'm just watching <em>The Young and the Pokemon</em>," she dismissed, looking back to the television where the actors were now wrapped in a loving embrace. "This scene is super emotional."</p><p>Paul looked between Dawn and the TV, his expression unchanging. "You're crying because of a television show?"</p><p>"Yeah," Dawn sighed, putting a hand to her cheek. "Stuff like this just really gets you, you know?"</p><p>"Not really."</p><p>Dawn scrunched her face in confusion at Paul's blunt response. "What?" she asked, tilting her head. "Well, you have something that makes you emotional, then, don't you?"</p><p>"I don't cry," Paul responded flatly.</p><p>"<em>Ever?</em>"</p><p>"Ever."</p><p>Dawn puffed her cheeks. She hadn't been living with Paul for that long, and she had certainly never seen him cry before. But any living, breathing person got emotional sometimes. "Well, that's silly!" she insisted. "Everybody cries!"</p><p>"I don't."</p><p>"Why not?"</p><p>Paul closed his eyes, sliding his hands into his pockets. "Because I don't let my emotions control me," he huffed, turning his head away. "And, besides, crying is… pathetic."</p><p>Dawn deadpanned, raising a brow. "So you're saying I'm pathetic, then?"</p><p>Paul paused, and Dawn found herself having a hard time getting a read on whatever his expression was supposed to mean. It was like some weird mix of embarrassment, frustration, and regret all in one.</p><p>He quickly began to march to the front door. "…I need to keep training," he murmured, swinging the door open. He stopped before leaving the apartment, giving Dawn one last look as he said, "And stop watching that stuff if it makes you upset."</p><p>And just like that, the door closed and he was gone. Dawn exchanged confused glances with Piplup, but then cracked a smile. Maybe Paul wasn't one to cry, but it didn't mean he was entirely lacking in emotional capacity.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
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<a name="section0017"><h2>17. The Forgotten</h2></a>
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    <strong>August of 2029. Afternoon. Icirrus City, Unova.</strong>
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</p><p>Trip watched as his young son stared anxiously out the kitchen window. He pursed his lips, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone. He glanced at the numbers on the screen as it lit up. "It's getting late…"</p><p>"She said she would come," Cade grumbled, never taking his eyes off of the driveway.</p><p>Trip furrowed his brows, looking to his phone's lock screen once more. He had texted Georgia probably half a dozen times with no response. When he called it went straight to voicemail. Getting in contact with her in general was always a pain, but he especially hated her bailing like this with no notice when their family had plans.</p><p>"Cade," Trip said, stepping forward, "I think we need to talk."</p><p>Cade's icy eyes flicked to look at his father, but he said nothing.</p><p>Trip glanced away, awkwardly rubbing the back of your head. "Your mom…" he started slowly, trying to figure out how to best proceed, "is a really busy person. You know she can't always make it to this stuff."</p><p>"But she promised she would come!" Cade argued.</p><p>"I know she did," Trip sighed. "But people don't always keep their promises."</p><p>It was an answer Cade clearly wasn't satisfied with, but Trip didn't know what else to say. Cade scowled, beginning to walk away from the kitchen window. "Then I don't wanna go."</p><p>"Cade," Trip started, letting out a frustrated breath as he put a hand on his son's shoulder to stop him, "don't be like this…"</p><p>"I said I don't wanna go!" Cade yelled, jerking away from his father's grasp. Trip pulled back his hand as Cade looked to the ground, saying, "Just… leave me alone."</p><p>With that, Cade ran to his room and Trip was left alone. He scoffed to himself. "Some parent…"</p><hr/><p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
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<a name="section0018"><h2>18. The Rescue</h2></a>
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    <strong>March 23rd, 2040. Evening. Outside Mt. Coronet, Sinnoh.</strong>
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</p><p>Julia's head was pounding and her ears were ringing. The smoke all around her shrouded her vision as she laid motionless on the ground. She could barely make out her Liepard laying just a few feet from her. She gritted her teeth, attempting to rise so she could make her way to it, but her strength wasn't enough and she collapsed. A searing pain shot through her arm, causing her to writhe in pain. She wondered if it was broken.</p><p>The smoke was beginning to clear, and Cassidy's figure took form several yards away. She stood with a hand on her hip and a devilish smirk on her face. Her Granbull was beside her, pounding its fist into its paw, ready to continue the fight.</p><p>"What's the matter? Having trouble standing?" Cassidy mocked, and Julia scowled. "How pathetic. I guess I shouldn't have expected anything less from Jessie's kid."</p><p>Julia pressed her fist to the ground, gathering whatever strength she could to rise up. But it was useless and she fell once more, wincing as she made contact with the ground. It didn't matter. Liepard was breathing in heavy pants, making no attempt to rise and keep battling, and she knew none of her other Pokemon were in good shape either. Cassidy had her cornered.</p><p>The shadow of Mt. Coronet hung over her and she internally cursed herself. She was sure Skye and the others were nearing its core by now, and yet here she was unable to do so much as stand. She had let them down. She had let Liepard and her other Pokemon down. She had let Espeon down. She had let the world down.</p><p>She really was pathetic.</p><p>Cassidy stared at her for a moment longer, waiting to see if Julia would press on. But when she continued to lay unmoving, she let out a sigh and waved her hand. "Let's finish this, Granbull."</p><p>"Gra!" Granball stepped forward, opening its mouth as a ball of light began to form a Hyper Beam attack.</p><p>Julia closed her eyes tightly, bracing for the impact as the beam began hurtling toward her. But the sound of a collision made her eyes snap open. A figure masked in a green glow stood over her, acting as a shield protecting her from the Hyper Beam attack.</p><p>"W-what..?"</p><p>That was when the Hyper Beam was sent flying back to Granbull and Cassidy. Clearly shocked by the sudden turn of events, Cassidy was unable to order a counter for Granbull, and the two were pushed back by the force of the attack.</p><p>Julia sat up just the slightest, realizing that she recognized the cylindrical blue figure in front of her. Her eyes widened, and she breathlessly managed, "Wo…"</p><p>The Pokemon turned to face her, offering a salute. "Wooobbuffet!"</p><p>Julia couldn't find the words to muster, and as if out of nowhere, a familiar voice from behind her shrieked, "Stay away from my daughter, you <em>ugly hag</em>!"</p><p>Julia inhaled sharply through her nose, turning her head to see her mother standing over her. Her eyes were burning with anger, gritting her teeth as she gripped Wobbuffet's Poke Ball tightly in her hand.</p><p>As if on cue, her father stumbled out of the treeline. He made his way toward her, breathing huffs and puffs. "Julia!" he called, crouching down beside her. "Are you all right?!"</p><p>"M-Mom!? Dad!?"</p><p>"Hey Jewelz," Meowth greeted, jumping off from his spot on James' back and thumbing to himself, "don't forget about old <em>Me</em>-owth!"</p><p>"W-what…" Julia breathed, looking between the three as the shock began to settle, "what are you doing here?"</p><p>"What are <em>we</em> doing here?! What are <em>you</em> doing here?!" Jessie snapped, pointing at her daughter. "Have you lost your <em>damn mind</em>!? Do you have any idea how dangerous this is?!"</p><p>"J-Jessie," James stepped in, holding up his hands. "Calm down…"</p><p>"Don't tell me to calm down!"</p><p>Cassidy, who was finally beginning to recover from the blow of Wobbuffet's Mirror Coat, rose to her feet. She rubbed the back of head head with a wince, scowling upon catching sight of Jessie. But after a beat she closed her eyes, brushing herself off.</p><p>"Aw, what's this?" Cassidy taunted, getting the family's attention. "Did the baby need Mommy and Daddy to come rescue her? How sweet."</p><p>Julia grimaced, trying to push herself up more, but the pain in her arm struck again and she recoiled. James placed his hands on her shoulders and Meowth frowned. Jessie's burning gaze was focused on Cassidy.</p><p>Cassidy took notice of Jessie's stare. She smirked, placing a hand to her cheek. "I see aging hasn't treated you too kindly, Jessie," she teased, tossing Granbull's Poke Ball up and down as the Pokemon finally rose to its feet beside her. "I know, how about I put all of you down together? Then you won't have to worry about getting more wrinkles than you already have."</p><p>Jessie's eye twitched, and her body began to shake with rage. "<em>Wrinkles!?</em>"</p><p>James winced. "Oh dear…"</p><p>"You mean you haven't noticed? You're covered in them. Not like it matters," Cassidy said with a shrug before focusing on Julia. "But you know, I do have to say before I kill you—I thought your daughter would have been much prettier. I guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, huh?"</p><p>Something inside of Jessie snapped, and Julia could have sworn she felt some sort of dark aura coming off of her mother.</p><p>"Cassidy…" Jessie started, her voice low and dangerous as she took a step forward, "you can throw your insults at me and call me wrinkly all you want…" She looked Cassidy dead in the eye. The small embers that were flickering inside of her had grown into a full-on hell fire ready to be unleashed. "But the second you insult my daughter you're writing yourself a<em> death wish</em>!"</p><p>Cassidy grinned, obviously taking pleasure in her old rival's rage. "Oh really?" she laughed, her grin growing wider. "Let's see about that, then."</p><p>"James, Meowth," Jessie barked, and the two stood erect. "It's time we gave Cassidy a little makeover."</p><p>James hesitated, but then huffed with a smirk, running a hand through his bangs. "Then I guess that means she should prepare for trouble…"</p><p>Meowth snickered. "Deez claws haven't seen battle in a while…" he said, bearing his claws with a grin. "But dat don't mean dey can't leave a scratch or two!"</p><p>Julia pursed her lips. She wanted to do something, anything. She couldn't just sit back and watch as her family fought <em>her</em> battle. "I'll—"</p><p>"<em>No</em>," Jessie objected, her tone so sharp that it made Julia recoil. "You'll stay here." She began to walk toward Cassidy, James, Meowth, and Wobbuffet by her side. "We'll talk later."</p><p>In that moment Julia could do nothing. With barely enough strength to sit up, all she could do was watch as her family entered the fray. The fight against Cassidy was just getting started, and she was useless.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
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<a name="section0019"><h2>19. The Wingman</h2></a>
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    <strong>March 15th, 2038. Night. Nimbasa City, Unova.</strong>
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</p><p>Louvel had always enjoyed the events that surrounded the Grand Festival. They had a charm and regalness about them that he adored. Plus, getting the chance to dress up for the post-Grand Festival ball was his personal favorite.</p><p>However, he couldn't say that he particularly liked spending it hovering over the endless buffet tables. He and Emilie had spent nearly the entire night thus far watching Nick stuff his face to his heart's content. Louvel was beginning to grow tired.</p><p>"Here, buddy," Nick offered, handing a piece of cake to the Zigzagoon sitting loyally on his shoulder. "This one's chocolate flavored."</p><p>"Zagoo!" Zigzagoon chirped as he took the cake between his paws and shoved it into his mouth.</p><p>"I don't think Zigzagoon are supposed to eat chocolate…" Emilie commented with a worried expression, watching as Zigzagoon licked the remaining frosting from his paws.</p><p>"No worries. He'll be fine," Nick dismissed with a wave of his hand, looking to his partner with a smile. "Wontcha, bud?"</p><p>Zigzagoon nodded. "Zi!"</p><p>Emilie pursed her lips, and Louvel let out an exhausted sigh. "Right…" he responded, his eyes beginning to wander to the center of the room where coordinators were dancing the night away. He glanced to Emilie and an idea clicked in his mind. "Hey you know what?" he started, perking up and looking to Nick with a smile. "The two of you should dance!"</p><p>Emilie's face immediately began to glow red. "W-what!?"</p><p>Nick lit up, putting down the pastry he held in his hand."Hey, that's a great idea!"</p><p>Emilie's head snapped to Nick, and Louvel could have sworn he saw steam leaving her body from the embarrassment. "W-w-what!?"</p><p>But Nick paid her no mind, instead looking to the Pokemon sitting on his shoulder. "Let's dance, Zigzagoon!"</p><p>"Zig!" Zigzagoon trilled in agreement, climbing onto the top of Nick's head.</p><p>Emilie's face fell and Louvel glowered as Nick began to sprint toward the dance floor. Louvel grabbed him by the back of his suit jacket before he could get too far. "I <em>meant</em> you and Emilie."</p><p>Nick skidded to a stop, glancing back at Louvel who let go of his suit. "Oh…" He blinked then grinned and straightened himself out. "Well, yeah sure! That sounds like fun!" He turned his attention onto Emilie. "Em, wanna dance?"</p><p>"Zig zig!" Zigzagoon invited, waving his paw at her.</p><p>Emilie's face heated up once more, and she looked to her brother for reassurance. Louvel gave her a smile and a nod. She inhaled through her nose looked to Nick with a smile. "…O-okay."</p><p>"Great!" Nick grinned, grabbing her by the arm and yanking her toward the dance floor. "Then let's dance!"</p><p>Emilie let out a surprised squeak and looked to Louvel once more, as if pleading for help. But Louvel only smirked and offered a wave. "Have fun."</p><hr/><p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
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<a name="section0020"><h2>20. The Numbers</h2></a>
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  <em><strong>October of 2043. Afternoon. Pallet Town, Kanto.</strong> </em>
</p><p>"Wartortle. Poliwrath. Golisopod. Basculin. Quagsire…" Skye's Rotom Dex listed off the names of each of the Pokemon before him, floating above their heads. He turned to Skye with a grin. "It's a water Pokemon-palooza!"</p><p>"You bet!" Skye proclaimed, puffing out her chest. "These guys are gonna be my special strategy!" All of the Pokemon cheered in agreement.</p><p>Lizzie closed the book she had been skimming, raising a brow. "Special strategy? For what?"</p><p>Skye spun on her heel to face her, beaming. "For my battle against Mom, of course!"</p><p>It had been almost a year since Skye had begun challenging Kanto's Champion League. In that time she had managed to beat three out of the four Elite: Sabrina, Koga, and Leaf. Her own mother, Misty, was the final challenge she had left before she could face off against the Champion–and she had specifically saved battling her for last.</p><p>Now the match was a little over a week away, and Skye had requested that Lizzie join her at Professor Oak's ranch for some training. However, Lizzie deadpanned upon realizing the implications of Skye's selected team. "You're kidding, right?"</p><p>Skye shook her head. "Nope!" She grinned, looking at Wartortle and the others. "We're gonna go all-out with some tidal wave-packed action!" She punched her fist forward, and Wartortle did the same. "There's no better way to battle my mom than with water-type Pokemon, after all!"</p><p>"Only using water-type Pokemon against a water-type Pokemon Master?" Rotom asked, a question mark popping up on his screen. "Calculating… Calculating…"</p><p>The question mark morphed into a buffering circle. After a moment, an exclamation point took its place. Rotom gasped in horror. "But that brings your chances of winning down to less than 15%!" He hovered around Skye's head in a panicked frenzy. "It could go as high as 40% if you used Manectric, Chesnaught, or Tangela instead!"</p><p>Skye narrowed her eyes, offended. "Only 40%?"</p><p>"My calculations are never wrong!" Rotom stated, proudly placing his hands to his sides. "Keep in mind, this is an Elite 4 member you're going against!"</p><p>Skye huffed. "Well, whatever." She waved Rotom off, flashing her other Pokemon a smile. "Calculations are just numbers. And numbers don't matter in a Pokemon battle!"</p><p>"You say that…" Lizzie started, her eyes scanning all of the Pokemon in front of her. "But have you actually counted how many Pokemon you're using?"</p><p>A question mark appeared on Rotom's screen once more, and he hovered over the heads of each of Skye's Pokemon. "One… Two… Three… Four… Five…" He paused, and then let out another horrified gasp. "Lizzie's right! You only have five water-type Pokemon! Official battles against the Elite 4 require a full team of six!"</p><p>Skye perked up. "Ah, right. About that."</p><p>"Hey! Skye!"</p><p>The sound of Gary Oak's voice cut through their conversation. Both Skye and Lizzie looked at the laboratory to see the Professor walking toward them. He had a less than impressed look on his face.</p><p>"Oh, Professor!" Skye blinked as he approached. "What's up?"</p><p>Gary stopped when he reached them, sliding his hands into his pockets. "There's a package for you at the front door," he explained, annoyed.</p><p>Skye lit up. "It's here!"</p><p>Lizzie gave Skye a quizzical look. "You ordered something?"</p><p>"Yes, she did," Gary answered for her, his voice dripping with irritation. "Now can you stop having things delivered to my lab? Have them sent to your own place."</p><p>"Sorry, Professor," Skye said with an apologetic grin. "But it's a lot easier to have you sign off on mail for me since you never leave the house anyway." Gary gawked, and Skye offered him a wave as she began sprinting to the laboratory. "Thanks!"</p><p>"Skye's right, Professor," Rotom agreed, a check mark popping up on his screen. "According to my calculations, Skye is only home 10% of the time… But your stay at home rate is 95.6%!"</p><p>Gary flinched. "Wh… What's that supposed to mean!?"</p><p>Rotom snickered, zooming past the Professor in pursuit of his trainer. Lizzie laughed nervously, following after them. "Sorry, Professor…"</p><p>By the time Lizzie made it into the lab, Skye was already well at work ripping apart the large cardboard box at the front door. Rotom zipped around curiously, attempting to get a look at what was inside.</p><p>Lizzie peeked over Skye's shoulder. "So… what is it?"</p><p>Stepping to the side, Skye spread out her arms to present her special delivery. "Ta-dah!"</p><p>Lizzie paused upon seeing the large, bright device sitting atop the mess of torn cardboard. "Is that… a washing machine?"</p><p>"That's right!"</p><p>Lizzie sighed, pressing a palm against her forehead. "How many times do I need to tell you to stop wasting your money on things you don't need?"</p><p>Skye flinched, then rubbed the back of her head. "This time is different, I swear!" Spinning on her heel, she faced Rotom with a confident grin. "So, Rotom, how do you feel about doing some training?"</p><p>Lizzie furrowed her brows, looking between Skye, Rotom, and the newly acquired washing machine. That was when she blinked, lightly clapping in realization. "Oh. I get it!"</p><p>Several question marks popped up on Rotom's screen as he processed what Skye was trying to say. "Wait a sec…" he mused, getting a closer look at the washing machine. Realization hit him, and he appeared as if he may short-circuit. "A <em>Roto-Wash?!</em>"</p><p>Skye grinned. "That's right!" she proclaimed, pointing a finger at him. "You're my sixth water-type Pokemon, Rotom!"</p><p>"<em>What!?</em>"</p><p>Lizzie watched on as Skye and Rotom began to banter back and forth with each other. She frowned. "But, Skye…" Lizzie started, crossing her arms. "It's been a long time since Rotom was last in a Pokemon battle. Are you sure that's a good idea?"</p><p>Truthfully, Lizzie couldn't even remember the last time she had a battle against the Plasma Pokemon. Once Skye had begun her travels in the Alola region years prior, Rotom had ditched the battle scene in favor of the Pokedex's plethora of knowledge. Though, a part of her believed Rotom just liked having the ability to talk.</p><p>"Lizzie's right again!" Rotom confirmed, frantically waving his arms. "With the state I'm in, my chances of winning a battle against a Pokemon Master are as low as… Calculating… Calculating…." Rotom's buffering symbol appeared, and once it changed into an exclamation point, Rotom practically screamed, "<em>0.2%</em>!"</p><p>Skye shook her head. "I said it before and I'll say it again: Numbers are just numbers. They mean nothing in a Pokemon battle," she said, holding up a finger. "Whether your numbers agree or not, I know you're a really powerful Pokemon. I've seen you score more goals in the past than I can count!"</p><p>"But the past is the past!" Rotom reasoned. It then hung its head, a frowning emoji appearing on its screen. "I probably don't even remember how to have a Pokemon battle…"</p><p>"That's nonsense!" Skye argued. "Forgetting how to battle would be like forgetting how to ride a bike!"</p><p>Rotom continued to mope, hovering lower to the ground. "But…"</p><p>Skye frowned, letting out a breath. "I know it's been a while, Rotom…" she started, crouching down to be on his level, "but you're still a part of Team Skye! And Team Skye needs all hands on deck if we wanna beat my mom."</p><p>Rotom glanced up at her, and Skye smiled, continuing with, "You're way stronger than you think, and I know that with a little polishing you'll be unbeatable!" Pixelated teardrops began to take shape on Rotom's screen.</p><p>Skye gave him a gentle pat on the head. "We need your strength, Rotom–because according to my calculations, you'll raise our chances of winning to 100%! No… 200%!" Smiling wider, she held out a hand to him. "So, whaddya say?"</p><p>Rotom stared up at Skye for a long moment, the pixelated teardrops continuing to fall. Suddenly, the screen began to glitch, and electric shocks were emitted from the Pokedex. Skye yelped and recoiled, falling back onto her rear.</p><p>Lizzie inhaled sharply. "Are you okay!?"</p><p>The Plasma Pokemon emerged, and the empty Pokedex shell fell to the ground. Rotom began to dash sporadically about the room–knocking out some of the laboratory's lights in the process.</p><p>Lizzie helped Skye to her feet, raising her brows in shock as she watched Rotom zip across the lab. "I-is it trying to run away?"</p><p>Brushing herself off, Skye grinned, focusing her gaze on Rotom. "No."</p><p>Rotom charged straight toward Skye and Lizzie, and the two quickly stepped apart as Rotom bolted between them with lightning speed. Shocks were emitted as it collided with the Roto-Wash behind them.</p><p>The laboratory's lights flickered back on, and both Skye and Lizzie focused their attention onto the now shaking Roto-Wash. After a moment, a blue aura began to glow around the appliance and its eyes opened.</p><p>The now Wash Rotom jumped into the air, raising its nozzle proudly. "Roto!"</p><p>Lizzie's eyes widened. "It did it!"</p><p>Skye's face lit up, and she laughed, "All right!" she cheered, balling her hand into a fist. "I knew you had it in you!"</p><p>Rotom grinned, hovering around his trainer. "Roto ro!"</p><p>Lizzie smiled, approaching Rotom and giving it a gentle stroke on its head. "I guess that means Rotom wants to give the Champion League a shot, after all."</p><p>"Of course it does!" Skye said, placing her hands on her hips. "Rotom has the Team Skye fighting spirit in it!"</p><p>"Roto!"</p><p>Skye looked to Rotom confidently. "Now how about we focus on that training, huh?" she inquired, giving Rotom a slap on the back. "You'll have Hydro Pump mastered in no time!"</p><p>Rotom recoiled, beginning to sweat profusely. "R-Roto!?"</p><p>Skye snickered. Running to the laboratory's exit, she cheered, "Anchors aweigh!"</p><p>Rotom frantically chased after its trainer. "Roooo!"</p><p>Lizzie watched as the two sprinted toward Skye's other water-type Pokemon back out on the ranch. Letting out a sigh, she smiled.</p><p>Before she got the chance to follow after, Gary Oak's voice came from behind her, "She really is something, huh?"</p><p>Lizzie paused, turning around to see the Professor standing in the doorway. She raised a brow, smiling. "No doubt about that."</p><p>Gary huffed, letting out a light laugh. But the amused look was quickly replaced by a heavy stare. "Now can you please tell her to stop having things delivered to my house?" His eyes were shooting daggers through Lizzie, and she felt herself begin to sweat anxiously. "I'll have you know, I live a very busy life."</p><hr/><p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
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<a name="section0021"><h2>21. The Confession</h2></a>
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    <strong>January of 2041. Late Morning. Heahea City, Alola.</strong>
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</p><p>Kierra's coffee mug toppled over as she rocketed to her feet, slamming her hands down on the table. "You're <em>dating someone</em>?!"</p><p>A man sitting in a booth nearby glanced over, and Lia quickly hushed her older sister. "Would you keep your voice down?" she hissed between gritted teeth. "Don't make a scene!"</p><p>Snivy promptly hopped onto the table, using a wad of napkins to clean up his trainer's mess. Lia's Dewott snickered, and Snivy shot him a dirty glare.</p><p>Kierra pouted. "How can I not?" she asked, plopping back down into her chair. "My little sister is dating someone and I'm still as lonesome as a Cubone!"</p><p>Unimpressed, Lia rose out of her seat. "Okay, I'm leaving," she said, her tone flat as she slung her purse over her shoulder. "Dewott, let's go."</p><p>Kierra's jaw dropped, and she scurried to her feet. "Wait, wait, wait!" she quacked, blocking her sister's path. Lia huffed, rolling her eyes. "You can't go without at least telling me who the lucky guy is!"</p><p>Lia deadpanned, and Kierra offered a lopsided grin. After a beat, Lia attempted to push past her. "No thanks."</p><p>"Aw, come on." Kierra side-stepped, blocking Lia's path once more. "<em>Please?</em>"</p><p>Lia could feel herself beginning to cave as Kierra gave her famous Lillipup eyes. It was something that typically worked on their parents, but never on her. So whatever was causing this ridiculous moment of weakness now, she couldn't say. She winced, avoiding eye contact. "You have to promise you won't… <em>freak out</em>."</p><p>Kierra puffed her cheeks, insulted. "When have I ever 'freaked out'?" Lia, Snivy, and Dewott's eyes all trailed to the mess of coffee soaked napkins sitting atop the table. Kierra clicked her tongue. "Okay. Bad question. But you know what I mean!"</p><p>Lia's cheeks flushed and she averted her gaze. She pursed her lips before murmuring something under her breath that Kierra couldn't quite make out.</p><p>Kierra squinted, leaning in. "What? I can't hear you."</p><p>Letting out an aggravated breath, Lia finally looked her sister in the eye, her cheeks burning. "I said it's Tempa."</p><p>For a long moment, Kierra did nothing but gawk at her sister, and Lia shifted uncomfortably. But just as she opened her mouth to say something, Kierra let out a long groan.</p><p>"Ugh. First Briar. Then Skye. Now <em>you</em>," she whined, plopping back down into her seat.</p><p>Lia blinked, taken back, and Snivy shook his head disbelievingly. Kierra breathed an exaggerated sigh. "How do all you dorks score such bombshells but I can't meet one decent guy? I'm never gonna get laid."</p><p>"<em>Kierra!</em>"</p><hr/><p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
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<a name="section0022"><h2>22. The Runaway</h2></a>
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    <strong>April 1st, 2039. Night. New Bark Town, Johto.</strong>
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</p><p>Bell fell to the ground with a hard 'thud', a small puff of dirt rising from around her. Groaning in pain, she sat up, rubbing the now tender spot on her back.</p><p>"Damn it…" she hissed, rising back onto her feet. Looking up at the gate in front of her, she now realized that it was much higher than she was originally anticipating. She supposed it made sense though–all of those fancy cruise lines and private yacht owners probably didn't want punks like her sneaking onto their ships.</p><p>But Bell wasn't looking to get on some big cruise ship. She just needed to hop on board the little ferry heading north. She honestly couldn't say why she was going through such sneaky precautions to get on the boat in the first place. Leaving in the dead of night and climbing over a fence was much harder than simply boarding the ship in the morning after presenting her Trainer ID. So why bother with all of the dramatics?</p><p>"Bell? What are you doing?"</p><p>Right. That was why.</p><p>Turning her head, Bell's eyes locked onto Chris'. He was standing just a few feet away, his face painted with concern.</p><p>Bell let out a huff, blowing a stray piece of hair out of her face. "I dunno what you're talkin' about." She shrugged, sliding her hands into her pockets. "Shouldn't you be in bed or something?"</p><p>There was a beat of silence and Chris' frown deepened. "You're really going, aren't you?"</p><p>With a sharp intake of air through her nostrils, Bell turned her head away, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. She said nothing.</p><p>"At least… let me go with you," Chris gently pleaded, taking a step forward. "I can help. I–"</p><p>"No you can't," Bell snapped. It came off a little harsher than she had intended, and Chris took a pause. Bell averted her eyes to the ground, a sense of guilt beginning to weigh on her back. "I've gotta do this alone."</p><p>More silence. Silence with a weight so intolerable Bell couldn't take it. Spinning on her heel, she turned her back to him and began making her way toward the gate once more.</p><p>"Please," Chris practically whispered. "Don't leave."</p><p>Bell froze as her fingers grasped the metal of the chain links before her. She could feel Chris' heavy gaze piercing into her with a force she couldn't quite describe. She pursed her lips.</p><p>"Go home, Chris."</p><p>And just like that, she was gone.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
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<a name="section0023"><h2>23. The Idea</h2></a>
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    <strong>September of 2040. Afternoon. Konikoni City, Alola.</strong>
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</p><p>"So that's when I come descending from the ceiling on Charizard's back," Briar explained, running his pen in rapid motions along his sketchbook before looking at Allie with a confident smile. "Got it?"</p><p>Allie stared down at the drawing in front of her with blank eyes. It was a rough sketch of his idea for their tag-team appeal for a special exhibition contest they were entering together. She had decided to give Briar the luxury of holding the reins on their appeal, and he had really taken it to the next level.</p><p>Briar had insisted that they both dress up in his signature superhero costumes–something that was quite a ways off from Allie's usual cutesy idol look. In fact, the entire appeal was a bit outside of Allie's comfort zone with lots of explosions and hard-hitting moves. Per the norm, Briar had obviously taken heavy influence from his manga and comic books.</p><p>But even aside from all of that, the whole thing seemed to be less of a contest appeal and more like something out of a Pokemon Showcase. The amount of trainer involvement he wanted wasn't typical of appeals, and she wasn't sure how the judges would feel about that. Seemed like a risky move.</p><p>"This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you've ever had," Allie admitted, and Briar frowned. She then closed her eyes and smiled. "Of course I'm in."</p><p>Briar's face lit up and he jumped to his feet. "What? Really?"</p><p>"I said of course, didn't I?" Allie repeated, giving him a light tap on the nose. "I'm not sure how the judges are going to like it, but it sounds like fun. Different, but fun."</p><p>Briar gave her a lopsided grin. "That's the point." He placed his hands on his hips, puffing out his chest confidently. "And don't worry about the judges, we're gonna blow them out of the water."</p><p>"Yeah, yeah," Allie drawled, giving Briar a gentle push forward. "Then let's stop our talking and get to practicing, Mr. Pallet Jade."</p><p>"Roger that!"</p><hr/><p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
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<a name="section0024"><h2>24. The Wait</h2></a>
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    <strong>December of 2037. Midnight. Opelucid City, Unova.</strong>
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</p><p>Skye had always known that Unova winters were supposed to be cold. However, with four inches of snow below her feet, and freezing sleet falling from above, she was starting to realize that they were colder than she thought. Her cheeks were stinging from the freezing air that blew against her and Briar as they stood outside of some comic book store in the middle of Hearthome. The people waiting in line around them, however, didn't seem to be fazed by the weather conditions in the slightest.</p><p>Letting out a long sniff, Skye rubbed her nose with her gloved hand, grumbling, "I can't believe you talked me into this…"</p><p>Briar shifted his gaze towards his friend, before focusing his attention back on to the store window. "I couldn't go alone," he explained, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I didn't want to look like some kind of loser."</p><p>Skye's jaw slacked and she looked up at him disbelievingly. "You're waiting out in the snow for the midnight release of a toy, and you're worried that <em>standing alone</em> would make you look like a loser?"</p><p>Briar's face flushed, and he looked at Skye defensively. "S-shut up!" he protested, scrunching his shoulders. "It's not a toy, it's a—!"</p><p>Skye rolled her eyes, exhaling tiredly. "Littleroot Crimson Ranger, volume 6, 12 inch, collector's edition figurine," she drawled, mimicking the exact words that had been coming out of Briar's mouth for the past week. "I know."</p><p>Briar reeled back in surprise, but then smirked, raising a brow. "I'm surprised you remember, considering remembering long things like that isn't exactly your best asset," he said smugly, eliciting a scowl from Skye.</p><p>"Of course I remembered!" she snapped, crossing her arms and turning away from him. "You've only been going on about it all week–so obviously it's important to you or something. I'm gonna remember stuff like that."</p><p>Briar raised his brows, but then laughed lightly, and then gave her a gentle nudge. "I know. And thanks for coming," he said, and Skye glanced back at him curiously. He smiled, giving a small shrug. "I know this type of thing isn't really your scene so… I appreciate it."</p><p>Skye blinked a few times before grinning and punching Briar in the arm. "Hey, if it means that much to you then of course I'm gonna go! <em>Even</em> if it means standing out in the snow in the middle of the night," she said, flashing him a smile. "It's what friends are for, right?"</p><p>Briar stared for a moment as a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. But before he got the chance to say anything, Skye perked up, pointing forward eagerly. "Oh, look, they're opening the doors!" she enthused before moving forward with the line. "Let's get you that figure, huh?"</p><p>Briar sighed faintly as his smile spread wider. "Right!" he agreed, following behind her. "And maybe after we could go get some late-night cocoa."</p><p>Skye spun around on her heel, her fight lighting up at the offer. "Really? Your treat?"</p><p>"I never said <em>that</em>."</p><p>"What!?"</p><p>Briar snickered, as the two walked through the doorway and into the store together. "Just kidding!"</p><hr/><p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
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<a name="section0025"><h2>25. The Haircut</h2></a>
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    <strong>September of 2039. Morning. Saffron City, Kanto.</strong>
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</p><p>"You're the only one I trust to do this," Reid said, swallowing hard as he fidgeted in his seat.</p><p>"Stop being a baby," Calla lightly teased as she tied the black cape around his shoulders. "Just sit still and relax."</p><p>"I'm not being a baby!" Reid spat, turning his head back to glare at her. "Mom's the only person who's ever done this for me before! I can't trust anyone else putting a pair of scissors to my neck!"</p><p>Calla rolled her eyes. "Head straight," she said, taking the back of his skull into her hands and turning it forward. "You don't want me to mess up, do you?"</p><p>Reid flinched, his shoulders tensing, but he didn't turn around this time. "…Y-you're <em>not</em> going to mess up, right?"</p><p>Calla let out a small giggle as she picked up the pair of scissors sitting on the table beside them. "I thought you said you trusted me?"</p><p>Reid pressed his lips together before taking a deep breath and giving a small nod. "I do."</p><p>Calla smiled as she took a piece of Reid's hair between her fingers. "Okay then—that's all I need to hear," she said, taking the first snip.</p><hr/><p>
  <em>...And so it continues!</em>
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